In the Dark
by Emerald-Words
Summary: Serena is fed up with Rei and all her trash talking so what happens when she makes Rei the leader? And what's this about Jadeite and Rei? On top of that she has to deal with the sudden darkness that falls upon her world...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: In the Dark

"Sailor Moon! Watch out!" Mercury yelled to her leader. As usual, her normal poise was destroyed and she had to be saved by Tuxedo Mask. She sighed in frustration and after a few more insults between the scouts and the ugly minion, she finally managed to get her tiara off and fling it at the weakened monster. Before she even had time to breathe once, Mars was on her case.

"Are you retarded or something?" she yelled. "Don't you have eyes in your head that can see that you're in the way?"

"Back off Mars." She said in exasperation. She gave herself enough grief as it is.

"No, I will not back off. You do this every time. Is this some plot to draw this clown in a suit out so you can moon over him?" she said waving a hand at the still present rose thrower.

"Give it a rest, Mars." Jupiter said.

"No." Sailor Moon said. "Let pyro say what she wants." She said looking directly at the fire scout. "So let me have it. Get it off your chest. Maybe you wanna hit me too."

"Moon-" Mars growled.

"What no words now that I'm standing up to you? You've wanted to be leader ever since you found out that I'm the leader of the scouts well guess what? Since I'm so inept at my job you do it. You do the stupid speech. You kill the youma. You get saved by Tuxedo Mask. You get targeted by that damn youma when there are four other people available to shoot at. You take it. Be the leader and I'll follow."

"Sailor Moon-" Venus started.

"No. She wants it; she can have it. Next time there is a youma; don't expect me to be the moving target." She spun around and came face to chest with Tuxedo Mask. "Get out of my way." She didn't look up but she saw him move to the side and then she was stalking off.

"Way to go, _pyro_." Venus said crossing her arms. "What are we supposed to do without her?" she added crossly.

"You heard her." Mars said. "I'm in charge now and she'll follow orders."

"I hope you know what you're doing." Jupiter said.

"Walk carefully." Mercury added. Said two departed into the night leaving Mars, Venus and Tuxedo Mask. The last of the three decided to add his two cents.

"You'll have a hard time convincing the youma that you're the one to go for but I'll do what I must if it is Sailor Moon's wish."

"You're saying you'll rescue me instead of her because she said you should?" Venus asked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"She doesn't look like much at face value but she did her best as leader. Mars has large shoes to fill."

"Knowing her, she'll klutz out in her new position too." Mars said and walked away leaving Venus to talk further with Tuxedo Mask.

"Are you in love with Sailor Moon?"

"No." he said.

"Seems like you are."

"Can't love someone you don't know." He said and smiled.

"How true." Venus said wisely. "I hope we come out of this transition alive. Although Mars probably won't make a bad leader, I feel trouble coming on."

"We'll prepare for such. I must make my exit now."

"By all means." Venus said. "But before you go, do one thing for me."

"If I can."

"Look after her for me." She said looking in the direction Moon left. "If _I _know her, she hasn't detransformed yet so she's wandering around the town."

"I'll see what I can do." He said then they both left the park.

He found her at the swing set staring at her feet as they made marks in the sand. "Quite a night you've just had." He said sitting beside her.

"Leave me alone." She mumbled.

"You reminded me of someone just now." He said making his movements match hers. "Can you make this new arrangement work?" he said.

"I'll have to. She just doesn't understand how hard it is to attack a monster that won't stop attacking you for a split second." She sighed and looked over at her masked companion. "I don't want to be the damsel in distress. As much as I like having you jump in and make me feel important, I don't want to always be saved. I want to do stuff on my own."

"Then do it. I'll hold off whisking you away from danger for as long as it is possible without endangering you more than the obvious."

"You're too kind." She said. "You should go home and get some sleep. I'm sure you have a life outside of this crazy world."

"I suppose the same goes for you. We'll meet again soon."

"That I know." She rose and after a quick wave disappeared into the shadows of the midnight hour.

Serena crawled slowly out of bed and made her way to the shower. She sluggishly cleansed herself and then dressed for school at the same tempo. It helped that it was early and no one was awake yet to stand in shock. In her daze, she prepared breakfast for her family then ate in the silence. She trudged back upstairs and did her hair. She scooped up the dreaming Luna and headed out. She walked briskly to the shrine where Rei lived and left Luna at the door before hurrying to the crown arcade. For once, in a long time, she had time to grab a warm cup of the hot chocolate she loved so much. She saw Andrew start in surprise when she came through the door.

"Is it too early to get a cup of hot chocolate?"

"I think I hit my head a lot harder than I thought." He said rubbing an area in the back of his head.

"No, it's really me. So, about that hot chocolate-"

"Uh-sure. Anything for you, Serena." He said as he moved to the counter. "Any reason you're here so early?"

"Couldn't sleep last night so I decided instead of staring at the ceiling until I was late, I'd get up and go to school early. Maybe tomorrow, I'll sleep and actually wake up early."

"If that's what you want, then go for it."

"I think I will. I'll see you later." She said when he gave her the chocolate.

"Sure."

She made her way slowly to school and entered the classroom. It was strange to see the class empty and devoid of the chatter of her classmates. "Might as well, catch up on all that work I've been missing." She said to herself. She sat at her desk and worked assiduously until she heard the first sounds of student life. By then, she had done the back log and was halfway through one that was due the next day. She wrote the answer for the fifth question and closed the book just as her teacher entered.

"Serena?"

"That's me." She said and smiled softly.

"Are you okay?" Ms. Haruna said.

"Yep." She responded. Serena rose from her desk and lifted the stack of papers she had before her. "Here's all the work I had outstanding."

"R-Really?"

"Yes. And I was wondering if you could help me with the assignment due tomorrow. I did up to question five but I'm not so sure about the rest."

"Uh-sure. We can do that this afternoon."

"Thanks. I'll just go sit over here for the next half hour."

"O-okay."

"The teeth begin digestion by breaking the food up…" Serena took careful notes under the watchful gaze of Ami. She had only smiled and waved before delving into her notes. She didn't even lift her head to talk with Molly.

The hours passed and soon school was over. Serena stayed back and with the help of Ms. Haruna got through all ten math problems.

"I'm glad you're finally settling down to do your school work, Serena."

"Me too. It really takes a load off to get the work done." Serena smiled at her teacher then said her goodbyes.

She eventually started humming her usual song on her way to the arcade. She sighed when she opened the door and the bell chimed. "Hey Andrew!"

"Hey Serena! The usual?"

"No. I think I'll have mint chocolate today." She said taking her seat at the bar area. She soon had her ice-cream and was enjoying it when the door chimed. Serena could feel his gaze on her.

"You up to it today?" Andrew asked.

"It wouldn't complete my day if I didn't." She melted one more spoonful then turned to face her sparring partner, Darien Shields.

"I guess you were later than usual today, Odango Atama." He said. "You managed not to crash into me today."

"No, just early but I guess you'll find a way to tease me about that too."

"I-" he said.

"Go ahead." When he didn't say anything, she continued. "I've decided to avoid people like you as much as I can because you don't do much to encourage me so since I irritate you so much, when you do see me just ignore me. And if by the off chance I do crash into you, just walk away." She saw his eye shift to look at Andrew and guessed that said person shrugged.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Wonderful actually." Serena said smiling at him. She turned to Andrew and added. "I'm going to go now. I'll see you tomorrow." She paid for her ice-cream then left a speechless Darien behind.

The next few days went uneventfully and Serena was glad. She managed to catch up with Melvin and Molly while keeping up with her schoolwork. Serena would discover that she was almost as brilliant as Melvin was.

It was the third day of her reform when Serena's life changed more than she ever wanted it to. "Serena! Youma in the park! Get here now!" Jupiter yelled as she dodged some more blasts. She closed her compact and quickly made her way to the park before transforming. Without a thought, she jumped into the fight throwing kicks and punches at the stunned youma.

"The Sailor brat got some new moves." It snarled.

"And they sting don't they?" Sailor Moon retorted before scanning the area. "Where's Mars?"

"Mars usually calls you so you have to call her now…Coconut cyclone!" she yelled sending a burst of electric energy at the youma.

"Fine!" she pulled out her communicator. "Mars! Get your scrawny ass down to the park now!" she yelled and shut the compact before jumping back into the fight. The youma instinctively aimed for Sailor Moon but she paid no mind to the barrage of attacks. She parried and countered as best she could. It was hard since she had never used her powers for anything but finish the fight. She was thrown back but before anybody could rush to her aid, she was on her feet going at the youma again.

"You gotta do better than that." She breathed. She looked over at Venus, Jupiter and Mercury and they nodded before launching a simultaneous attack. The youma stumbled just as Mars entered flinging fire at the disoriented youma.

"About time you showed up!" Venus yelled at Mars.

"Jupiter forgot to call me." Mars yelled back as she threw sutras at the youma.

"I'm not supposed to call the leader. I'm supposed to call my partner. That's Moon."

"Moon, you need to throw your tiara." Mercury shouted.

"Why?"

"It's the only way!" Mercury shouted back before she was thrown back by a blast.

"Mars! Do your job!" Moon yelled across the battlefield before sending some more energy at the youma.

The youma seeing that Moon wasn't letting up went for Mars who dove out of the way. "Keep it busy."

The others did their best with Mercury out of commission but it was hard. Fed up, Sailor Moon pulled off her tiara and threw it at the distracted youma who exploded with more force than they had ever seen. She was thrown back by the force, her eyes squinted against the blinding light. And then her world was dark.

"Sailor Moon?" she heard someone calling out to her but she couldn't find him. "Sailor Moon?"

"T-Tuxedo Mask?"

"You did good today. I didn't have to save you once." He said.

"Are the girls okay?"

"They're fine. They're looking after Mercury."

"Good. I think I'll go back to sleep, now-"

"No, you need to stay awake and open your eyes so I can see if they're okay."

"They hurt." She said shakily.

"I saw blood around them so I need you to try and open them." He saw her brow furrow then she sobbed and a single tear came out.

"I can't."

"Dammit-" he looked around and saw Jupiter carrying an unconscious Mercury towards him while Mars and Venus followed. "We need to get her to the hospital."

"She'll be fine." Mars said.

"No! Listen to me. Whatever happened when that thing blew up may have damaged her eyes. She needs medical attention now."

"Well we can't carry Sailor Moon into an emergency ward." Venus said. "Do you know what that could cause?"

"You don't get it. If she doesn't get medical attention now, she'll go blind. She could already be blind." They all looked at the shivering sailor scout as she hung on to Tuxedo Mask. "Well, if you won't do it I will!" he rose suddenly then disappeared with their former leader and friend.

"Great job, Mars." Venus said. "First day as leader and you possibly caused our real leader to go blind."

"Knock it off." Jupiter said. "It won't help to blame. We have to find out where this caped idiot took not just Sailor Moon but Serena." She added softly.

"What if he finds out who she is?"

"We'll deal with that when or if it comes." Mercury whispered. "Right now, we need to pray that he has her best interest at heart."

"He does." Venus said. "Which is more than I can say for Mars here." She held up her hand when Jupiter made to interrupt. "You know, Moon never did anything but her damndest best to make sure at the end of the battle we all went home to our families. Even if it meant that during the fight she'd draw the fire while we worked out a plan."

"She always-"

"She always made sure we were safe. She always made sure we were happy. You just wanted to show her up as a flake." Venus shook her head and chuckled. "It's ironic that while I tried hard to be her best friend, she always wanted you but you didn't give her a break. You just wanted to be the best. Even to show her up in front of Darien."

"This-"

"Do you even know how much she likes him? Do you even know how much he likes her?"

"She always-"

"She pushed him away because she's confused about her feelings for Tuxedo Mask. You would know this if you even bothered to talk to her instead of making her feel like crap everyday."

"Calm down, Venus." Jupiter tried.

"Calm down?" she laughed and looked back at Mars. "You have a lot to make up for when we see her again." She spun on her heel and left a stunned and close to tears Mars.

"I didn't mean to-" Mars started.

"No but you did and wouldn't listen to any of us when we said to back off. Moon is sensitive. I guess you know that now. Some leader you are." Jupiter said. "I'll see you tomorrow. I'm taking Mercury home."

Mars was left to wander around Juuban much like the former leader of the scouts. "Being the leader is pretty lonely, Moon." She said detransforming behind her shrine. "But I have to be the leader. I'm better for this than you are. It's for the good of all of us." She whispered as he folded herself into her futon.

"Is she doing okay?" Tuxedo Mask asked the doctor. He had considered entering as a civilian but thought better of it. As a civilian, he would have no reason to be attending to the infamous Sailor Moon. As Tuxedo Mask, her suspected love interest, he was where he was supposed to be.

"She's fine. Her only problem seems to be the damage to her eyes. We're trying to see what can be done but I fear that its too late."

"You mean-"

"The blast you described cast a large amount of light into her eyes and also a chemical we are not familiar with. It would be a miracle if when she's able to open her eyes, she can see."

"Damn."

"She'll need someone to look after her since I suspect you won't leave her here in our care."

"I have someone in mind to take care of her."

"Very good." He smiled then added. "I need to get back and see the patient."

"Can I come in with you in case she wakes up?"

"That would be good." They entered the room where he found the teen hero stretched out with an IV in her arm. He took her hand while the doctor examined the girl's eyes again. In the next seconds, she came out of her unconscious state.

"Where am I?" she asked groggily.

"The hospital." Tuxedo Mask replied squeezing her hand.

"Tuxedo Mask?"

"Yes."

"Am I-"

"You're still Sailor Moon. Don't Worry." He touched her cheek with his gloved hand. "Can you open your eyes now?"

She furrowed her brows and slowly, and obviously painfully, she opened her eyes. She sobbed lightly before a tear slid from her eyes. "Am-Am I blind?"

"It could be temporary or-"

"Permanent." She finished for the doctor. "Can I go home?"

"We're gonna give you some ointment then wrap your eyes so they can heal. Maybe you'll see when the bandages come off."

"And maybe I won't." She said sadly.

"You can leave when we're done. This young man has promised to take care of you." Sailor Moon nodded and then she felt the eye-drops and the ointment being applied. She closed her eyes and then felt the gauze being wrapped around her head. Minutes later, she felt Tuxedo Mask lifting her from the bed.

"Ready?" he whispered.

"Yes." She said her voice flat. She felt the whisper of the wind against her cheeks and she turned her head into the warmth of his chest. "How am I going to explain this to my family?"

"You're family?"

"Yes. How can I explain that I went to school with perfect vision then came home blind?"

"So they don't know you're Sailor Moon?"

"How could I look at my mother and tell her that her sixteen year old daughter goes off to fight deadly enemies with strange, unearthly powers?"

"I can see why you didn't." He said. "However, I can't just leave you alone to wonder home."

"Take me to the Hikawa Shrine. Ask for Rei. She's a friend of mine."

"Okay." He said and changed direction. In fifteen minutes, he was outside the shrine.

"Leave me out of site in case her grandfather answers." He set her down carefully then went to knock on the door. A little old man answered. "I'm here to see a Miss Rei."

"Is she expecting you?"

"No but a friend recommended her."

"I'll get her for you." He turned away from the masked hero and disappeared into the shrine. Soon, he saw Rei, Serena's friend emerge from the door the old man left through.

"Tuxedo Mask?"

"I have a delivery. Sailor Moon says you are a friend. Can I leave her in your care until I can do better for her?"

"Uh-sure." He nodded at her answer and then disappeared around the corner and returned with a bandaged Sailor scout.

"I assume you'll get her to the other scouts."

"Of course. Is she okay?"

"We'll know more when the bandages come off. In the mean time, I hope she can figure out a story to tell her family. She was very concerned about that."

"I'll take care of that."

"Goodnight then." He touched the now sleeping Sailor Mon's cheek before bounding off into the night.

Two weeks later, Darien was seated in his usual seat sipping on coffee. He had not heard from the scouts of Sailor Moon's condition. He nodded at something Andrew said then responded appropriately.

"Have you heard what happened to Serena?"

"No. What?"

"There was an accident at the Hikawa shrine."

"When? Was anyone hurt?"

"Rei got burned on her hands and Serena unfortunately got burned around the eyes."

"When?" his mind working quickly.

"Today's Thursday so it was on Monday."

"Oh." He quickly wiped away the suspicion that had clouded his mind. He shook his head at the silly notion of Serena actually being Sailor Moon. Of course, it would have simplified things for him. "Is she in the hospital?"

"Her friend Ami's mom is a doctor so she's looking after her at home. You should go visit her."

"Me? She hates me. I'd probably depress her."

"No. I'm sure she'd like it if you did show up."

"Really?" Darien said disbelievingly.

"Come on. Maybe a good fight between you two would cheer her up a little."

"I don't know where she lives." Darien said deciding if he couldn't see Sailor Moon, he would see Serena instead.

"Minako can take you. She's stopping by for some ice-cream for her."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt."

"Good for you." Andrew said then got back to work.

It was five o' clock before Minako showed up at the Crown Arcade. "Hey Andrew!"

"Hey Mina. I got the ice-cream."

"Good. Serena needs some cheering up." She spotted Darien and smiled. "Oh, hey Darien. Didn't see you there."

"Hi. I just heard about Odango. Is she okay?"

"As well as can be expected. A little depressed."

"Can I come visit her?"

"She'd like that very much." Mina said excitedly.

"You're the second person to say that." He rose from his seat. "I'll drive us there."

"Great. See you later Andrew."

"Okay. I'll pick you up at Serena's."

"You and Andrew doing okay?"

"We're great." Mina said. "Just take a right her then take a right again and keep going."

"Okay." A few minutes later, he asked. "Which house?"

"Second house on the right." He pulled into the garage and then entered the house behind Mina. He followed her up the stairs and into the room directly before it. "Hey Serena. Got the ice-cream."

"Thanks." Came the soft voice.

"And I brought company."

"Who?" she asked curiosity evident in her voice.

"Darien."

"Why is he here?" she asked a bit angrily.

"Thought I'd come and see how you were doing." He answered for himself.

"I'm not in the mood or condition to fight with you." She said wearily. Darien looked at Mina who nodded and exited silently.

"I didn't come here to fight with you." He said touching her cheek. "How are you doing?"

"Leave me alone." She said brushing his hand away. She sniffled. "I can't even cry properly with this stupid thing on my eyes."

"You're crying?"

"Yes I am." She said choking on her words. "I don't want you here." She whispered.

"Well, I want to make sure that you're okay." He said solemnly.

"I'm possibly blind." She said a bit of anger in her voice.

"And you could probably see when you take the bandages off." He said cupping her cheek. He felt a lot braver being affectionate when her crystal blue eyes weren't glaring at him.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"I wouldn't be a friend if a kicked you when you were down." He said a smile in his voice.

"Friend? We're friends?"

"Of course. What else would we be?"

"Friends don't quarrel all the time."

"You and Rei quarrel all the time."

"I can't help being her friend. It's a packaged deal."

"Well, I'm your friend if you want one."

She was silent for a while. "Can we still argue every now and then?"

"It's part of the package." He said. "I'll go now. Get some rest."

"No. I think I want you to stay. I need help eating my ice-cream." She said smiling a little.

"Okay." He got up and brought the ice-cream to the bed. "Okay, open up." She did and he spooned some of the cold treat into her mouth.

"Thanks." She said when she swallowed.

"For what?" he saw her hand come up and her finger signaled for him to come closer.

"For taking me to the hospital."

"But I did-"

"Shhh." She said. "I shouldn't be telling you this but since we're friends and I already figured out who you really are its only fair you know who I really am."

"Serena-"

"And that's what you call me when I'm not getting shot at by ugly monsters." She whispered.

"Are you seriously trying to convince me that you're Sailor Moon?"

"Can you seriously explain how both Sailor Moon and I came to be blind at the same time?"

"I tried but-"

"So you see, thank you. And thanks fro saving me all those times."

"You thanked me for them every time I did." Incredulity was in his voice.

"A nice shock, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I was excited at first when I figured out where I smelt that cologne before. Then when I remembered that you, as Darien didn't like me as Serena, I got sort a depressed."

"So you weren't depressed because of the eyes?"

"Yeah but when I though of you not liking me, the eyes didn't seem so bad."

"Me liking you was that important?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you know I don't hate you." He said.

"I'm glad." She said swallowing another spoonful of the cold treat. "Andrew really fixed this one didn't he? You should try some."

"I think he made this one especially for you."

"It'll taste better if I share it." She pleaded.

"Fine." He looked down at the spoon and wondered why he was suddenly having thoughts of tasting her lips instead of a cold spoon. "Serena?"

"What? Did you taste it?" she asked smiling.

"Forgive me for doing this." He said hurriedly before kissing her gently. When he pulled back, her jaw was slack and surprise was in her expression.

"Th-" she licked her lips. "There's nothing to forgive." She said her cheeks beginning to stain red. He smiled and kissed her again.

"I guess we have to upgrade that friendship status."

"I guess." She said wishing she could see what he looked like now. "Darien, what if I can't see when I take these bandages off? How will I continue to be Sailor Moon?"

"I'll always be there to help you."

"I know. But how will I do it?"

"We'll deal with that if it happens. Right now, stay positive."

"I'll try." She chuckled lightly. "Ms. Haruna is not going like that her new star pupil is blind."

"Star pupil?"

"I'm not as dunce as I behave. Just a little spaced out sometimes."

"I'll help with the studying."

"I'm so loved." She said dreamily and laughed. She yawned suddenly. "I guess I really am tired."

"I'll leave you to sleep then."

"Let me fall asleep before you go. It's lonely in this darkness."

"Okay. Got to sleep now."

He climbed in beside her and caressed her hair until he heard her breath even out and even then; he didn't have the heart to leave.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 In the Dark

Chapter 2 In the Dark

When Darien wok up, he wasn't in Serena's room. He wasn't in her bed with her curled up next to him. And she wasn't Sailor Moon. He ran a weary hand over his face discerning the dream as a side-effect of his suspicion as well as his desire that the two women were the same person.

He got up and washed his face, hoping to wash away the fears that plagued him. Ever since he discovered that he was Tuxedo Mask, his life was in turmoil. Those dreams of an elusive princess tormented him day and night. He sometimes thought he was crazy. The presence of the Sailor Scouts made it seems a little less unbelievable.

He knew he was going to Serena's home for a visit though not completely sure why. He'd gotten her address from Andrew when he had heard about the accident at the Hikawa shrine but had been too nervous. The last thing Serena needed was a nervous visitor. Especially one who picked on her constantly.

It took him one hour to eat, shower, get dressed and drive to Serena's home. He acknowledged the shock on Mina's face when she opened the door to him.

"Darien!" he inclined his head in greeting not trusting his voice to work just yet.

"Is she allowed visitors?"

"Um- oh, yes of course." She said standing back to let him in. "I'll go get her – presentable." He nodded.

Fifteen minutes later, Mina came to rescue him from Sammy's questions. He followed silently and then he was left alone in the room with Serena.

"Hi." He said lamely.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. He looked at her hair and realized it wasn't in her normal hairstyle. No doubt Mina didn't know how to contain all that hair. Her eyes were covered by bandages and he couldn't get past how much like Sailor moon she looked like that. He shook his head knowing that he didn't need those thoughts right now. She was wearing a black blouse that clung to her curves. Below that, she was covered by a sheet.

"Is it a crime to visit a friend?" he asked not in the least defensive about her hostile tone.

"Shields, we're not friends."

"It wouldn't do to not visit someone I talk to regularly."

"Have you gone bonkers? We don't talk. We argue."

"Look, I didn't come here to argue, I just-"

"I really don't care why you're here. I juts want you to go." She said and he heard a definite crack in her voice. Was he crying? He wondered in alarm.

"Are you crying?"

"What does it matter to you?" she said and this time there was no mistaking the tears in her voice.

Moving quickly, he sat on her bed and hugged her to him. "Stop crying, Serena." She struggled against him.

She didn't know why she chose to cry today of all days. And in front of this jerk no less. She struggled futilely against the circle of his arms that had pulled her into solid warmth. Ever since Tuxedo Mask had left her at Rei she had hankered for something like this but she in no wise wished for Darien. No matter how much she liked him. She allowed herself to succumb to the comfort, winding her arms around his torso and fisting them in his jacket. She almost laughed knowing it was his favourite – but ugly – green jacket. He was whispering words to her but she couldn't here. She just wanted him gone so she could wallow in her despair. She was blind and it could be permanent. She squeezed her face into his chest and noted numbly that he held her closer.

Her tears soon subsided and now she just rested against him. He didn't know if she should push her away or indulge in his good fortune. Ultimately, his indecision chose the later. He wondered if she remembered that she was cradled against him. He wasn't going find out though. He'd wait until she pulled away. She shifted against him and he realized she was trying to escape the prison of his arms. He relaxed his hold slightly to make sure and she pushed back even more.

"I want you to go." She whispered even though her hand was playing idly with his. Se noted the texture of it and wondered what it would be like for him to touch her face. To run his hand up and down her arm. And other places she wasn't ready to admit yet. She was still too young – in her estimation – to be even thinking about such things. But it didn't stop her though.

He watched her play with his hand and then looked up to see color suffuse her cheeks. He thought for a second, in panic, that she knew what he was thinking. Then he reminded himself that Serena was not mind reader. He then watched as his hand lifted to cup her cheek, caressing it softly. He watched her lips part in surprise and her brow knit in confusion. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. They trembled. He moved his lips over hers but hadn't kissed her yet. He inhaled sharply and pulled back.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't-" he couldn't finish the statement. What had he been thinking trying to kiss her? If he were lucky, he'd escape with only a slap. Her lips were still parted slightly. He knew that he was staring and she was perceptive enough to recognize this also. She chewed nervously at her lips. And why shouldn't she? He was still holding her cheek and he was still sitting on the bed and bending over her slightly. He should have gotten off the bed. He should have removed his hand from her cheek. He should have. But he was staring hard at her mouth, begrudging her teeth. And he was going to do something about it. So, he kissed her. She squeaked in shock, stiffened in his arms but she didn't pull back. He made sure to schooled his thoughts. He wouldn't go too far with this kiss. He caressed her lips noting that she didn't respond. He knew he should have pulled back but a second later, her tentative response had him leaning into her more. He tilted her head so he could have better access, demanding entrance to a haven he knew he had no right to. Her mouth opened beneath his and he was lost. He took what she hadn't really offered and gave what she hadn't asked for. When he managed to pull back – though he didn't want to – she was shaking. Her breathing, much like his, was erratic. And her mouth…

"You bastard." She swore shakily. "How dare you take me first-" she didn't say the rest. Could she complain? That was one whopper of a kiss. Hadn't she allowed him to? Hadn't wanted him to? Didn't she take as much as he offered as much as he gave?

"Y-Your first kiss?" he said. She detected fear in his voice. What was he afraid of? "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Just go." She'd been about to just accept it but his regretful words made her angry.

"Don't be angry with me Serena." He said softly. "I'm not sorry I kissed you." He said and her head shot up. It reminded her that she couldn't see but she held her head up anyway. "You probably wanted your first kiss to be with - " he tore at him to say it but he knew of Serena's infatuation, maybe even love, for his best friend Andrew. "Andrew."

"Andrew?" she asked still trying to come to grasp with the fact that Darien Shields wanted to kiss her.

"I know you like him." And then she remembered that when she first met Darien, she had a gigantic crush on the blonde man. Not to belittle Andrews good looks but he couldn't hold a candle to Darien's smoldering, bedroom look. But since he provided her with an excuse, she wasn't going to deny it.

"Um, yeah." She said. "You should go." She said this time more gently. She inhaled when he kissed her cheek before leaving.

She looked into the darkness after Darien left. Her heart had finally calmed down and the knots in her stomach had been untangled. Her lips still tingled. She was afraid to lick her lips because she knew she'd taste him there. She wished to heaven that kissed hadn't happened and at the same time she wished he's kissed her just a little bit longer. She wished he had held her close for just one more breath. She grabbed a pillow and screamed her frustration into it. The she prayed he didn't visit again because she was sure he wouldn't be able to leave that time.

When next he saw Serena, a month had passed. Her bandages were off and she was laughing with Mina. The other girls poured in – with the exception of Rei – behind her. She looked over at a booth and pointed and he sent up a thank you that she could see. When he opened his eyes though, he realized his prayer was just a little premature. Mina was leading her to the counter and by the angle of her head and the blank stare, he realized she hadn't gotten her sight back.

"Hi Andrew!" Mina said and Serena smiled. He knew the greeting was two fold – one so Mina could say hello to Andrew and the other so Serena would know he was standing there.

"Hi Andrew." Serena echoed. "A round of the usual for everybody and make mine a double." She said. He saw Andrew smile sympathetically the send a meaningful glance his way. He cursed his big mouth for confessing that he had kissed Serena at her house. He even confessed that it had been her first kiss – a kiss she had reserved for him. Andrew hadn't been surprised at such a sentiment but was quick to tell him that Serena had gotten over her crush on him months ago. He wasn't quick to believe it.

"I'll bring it over." He said. Mina smiled and began to lead Serena over to the booth. He wasn't about to stop them. He wasn't too sure civility would be prevalent between them. As she passed him, he heard her breath hitch and she stopped. He didn't say a word. He watched her angle her head towards him and frown.

Then she said. "Mina?"

"Yeah?"

"Go on ahead. I need to speak with Darien for a minute."

He waited until Mina was gone before he spoke. "How'd you know it was me?" He watched her feel her way to the stool then sit facing him. He waited for her to answer.

"I don't know." The way she answered made him disbelieve her but he didn't push it.

"So what did you wanna talk about?"

"Why did you kiss me?"

"What does it matter why I kissed you? Based on your reaction, I suspect I won't get close enough to do it again." He said simply. It was obvious he was avoiding a direct answer. It was also a way of finding out if she wanted him to kiss her again. She looked thoughtful for a moment. He waited sipping his coffee anxiously.

"So-" she cleared her throat. "So you wanted to kiss me and you wanna do it again." Luckily the coffee was lukewarm because he sputtered. He hadn't counted on her being so perceptive about his evasive answer.

"I-" he didn't know what to say. He wasn't prepared to answer her. And even if he was he didn't think telling her 'I like you but…' was gonna cut it.

"Why? Since I met you, you've done nothing but try to make my day a living hell. It was bad enough I have to-" she stopped herself. "I don't understand why you torment me relentlessly for almost two years and then when I get injured you try to seduce me."

He wondered what she had been about to say but decided she deserved her secrets. He had his. "Seduce? That's a bit of an exaggeration." He said but thinking about it, if he had been at his apartment when that kiss started, he would have taken it to the bedroom. He mentally slapped himself for his wayward thoughts. Serena was too young.

"Darien, I'm old enough to know what that kiss would have led to if I wasn't in my bedroom with Mina and my mother downstairs." She said resolutely. He frowned at her and wondered if she could read his mind.

"How old are you Serena?" he asked realizing he didn't really know anything about this girl. He knew she went to high school but which grade. He frowned. He didn't know anything else.

"I'll be eighteen this June." She said. "Why?"

"Just information." He said. "Do you know how old I am?"

"I know a lot of things about you." She said cryptically then bit her lips as if she had said too much. it was a laden statement but he couldn't even begin to wonder what she thought she knew about him. "Look, I just wanted to apologize for being so defensive when you came to visit me. It was nice of you to visit. But I'd appreciate if you just didn't talk to me anymore."

"Is it because of the kiss."

"No." Then she sighed. "Yes. I can't get involved with you because I wouldn't settle for anything less than an involvement."

"You still like Andrew." He said.

She had used that excuse before. She wouldn't now. "No. I got over that crush a long time ago. And-" she sighed. "I wasn't waiting to share my first kiss with him and I'm sorry I said it. I know Andrew is your best friend and I shouldn't have used him as an excuse."

How did she know Andrew was his best friend? Did Andrew tell her? He didn't think so. "So who did you wanna share it with?"

The question was unexpected. She didn't know what to say. The word 'you' was on the tip of her tongue but she bit it back. She couldn't very well say Tuxedo Mask because then he'd think she was childish. "I don't see how it's any of your business." She gasped at his teasing remark and she was sure she was blushing like a tomato.

"I bet it was Tuxedo Mask." He said and she heard the teasing in his voice. But it wasn't hurtful. It was even intimate. Like he was asking her to share a secret with him. "Admit it. I know you are a big fan of his." He chuckled.

"So what if I am?" she said.

"I could arrange for you to get that second kiss from him." Darien said than almost pinched his thigh as punishment for saying a thing like that.

"You know Tuxedo Mask?" Serena asked incredulously. "What am I saying? You would probably dress up like him and kiss me again. And because I can't see, I wouldn't know the difference." She said.

He watched her eyes spark with hope then anger. She didn't know how close she was to the truth. And she didn't know how much he wanted to kiss that pout off her face. But he had to pay attention to her words. "Serena, I pick on you but I wouldn't use your blindness just sneak a kiss out of you."

"You did before." She said.

"I didn't sneak that kiss from you." He said. "You could have pulled away at anytime. You kissed me back. And for being your first time, you're pretty good." He said smugly. Her mouth worked but no sound came out and he chuckled. He saw she was trying to process that he had complimented her technique. She lowered her eyes as if she knew he was looking into them. When she lifted them again, they were void of emotion.

"I still want you to stay away from me."

"No. I don't think you do and I'm not gonna. And your army of girls can hardly stop me."

"Lita can."

"When I want something, or someone, no one can stop me." He said and to prove his point he leaned forward and kissed her hard and fast. He was aware of the stark silence in the Arcade. "I'll see you around Serena." He said and left her at the bar.

Serena couldn't move. She was sure everybody was looking at her after that surprise kiss. She jumped when a hand touched her shoulder. "Relax, it's just me." Mina said.

"Oh."

"Andrew brought the stuff over. You ready to come over?"

"Uh-yeah." She said and slid off the stool. "Did everyone see?" she asked quietly.

"Since you and Darien are prime entertainment when you're in the same room, it's safe to assume that everyone was waiting with bated breath for your argument. Hence-"

"They saw." Serena finished.

"At least you finally got your first kiss." She said when they were sliding into the booth.

Serena shook her head. "That's not the first time Darien had kissed me." She said quietly, blushing.

"Huh?" Lita said dumbly. Even Ami was rapt.

"He uh-came to visit me when I was at home." Mina confirmed this. It gave Serena time to breathe. "He-" she swallowed hard. "He kissed me then."

"That was a month ago!" Mina exclaimed. "And you didn't tell me."

"How could I? I wasn't even sure it had really happened." Serena said lowering her head to the table.

"So, how was it?" This came from Ami. Ami was the proverbial virgin of the group.

"I wouldn't know where to begin." Serena breathed. "I was sure I was dying. He is really really good." She said.

"How good?" Mina asked.

"When he kissed me, it was like I'd been waiting for it my whole life and anybody after this would just be-"

"Not up to par?" Ami suggested.

"Yeah. I didn't even think for one second about – you know who." They all knew who that was.

"So Tux-boy has been dethroned?" Lita asked.

"I'd have to kiss him to know that." Serena said logically.

"Then do it. After the next battle, before he does his vanishing act, kiss him."

"I'm not so brave." Serena said.

"Just think about it. You don't have to. It's just an option." Lita prompted.

"We'll see." She said.

Serena waved to Lita and Ami and then allowed Mina to lead her to the abandoned warehouse. "You sure you wanna do this?"

"I can't give up being Sailor Moon. I have to pull my weight. I need to find a way to fight with you guys."

"Okay." They transformed and then Mina began. "I've set up some targets. See if you can find them."

Serena tried then sighed. "I can't. I don't even know where I am." She said.

"Okay. Try this. See if you can find me when I stop talking."

"How?"

"Well, if you were locked in a dark room, you'd look for light right?"

"Yeah."

"Each scout has a light. Find mine." Serena inhaled then concentrated. She searched but didn't find anything.

"I can't."

"Use yourself as the point of reference." Mina said. "You're there and Everything else branches from your location." Mina said.

"Do you even know what you're saying?" Serena laughed.

"No." Mina admitted. "Which is why I wonder why you didn't ask Ami to help." Mina said. They sat silent for a second. "How about, for today, we concentrate on getting your powers to do something else than throw a tiara."

"Sounds like a plan."


	3. Chapter 3

In the dark 3

Rei slammed around her room angrily. They had no right to treat her the way they were. She was the leader. She was to be privy to everything but they were being insubordinate. She looked in the corner at Luna. The stupid cat was supposed to advise her but since Serena left the stupid thing here, it hadn't moved. She scoffed at it.

"You could do something useful like help me figure out Beryl's next move." Rei said.

"I am an advisor to the court of the moon. Sailor Moon is of the court – somehow. I am not loyal to Mars." Luna said simply.

"Then you can find someone else to mooch off of."

"Sailor Moon placed me here and I must stay here."

"Well, Luna, if she left you here, it means that you're supposed to help me." Rei said simply.

"Serena is much nicer than you. I don't know why she even bothers trying to be your friend." Luna said.

"Retract your claws Luna. Or I will burn you to crisp. Ally or not." Rei said then walked off leaving a fuming Luna.

Jadeite paced. He just knew Beryl would be calling him soon. He knew what he wanted to say but she was unpredictable. She could kill him just for the fun of it. Just as an example. He glanced at the orb and saw his prey. She was ripe for the picking. She was a fiery one. Just his kind of girl. And with her on his side, he could be rid of Beryl and the senshi for good. Or maybe he'd just run away with her. He smiled. He liked that idea.

He felt the tingle at the base of his skull which meant Beryl was summoning him. He teleported himself to her.

"My queen." He said bowing low. He swallowed the bile rising in this throat. How he hated this woman. Maybe he should let the senshi kill her and be over with it. Even if it meant dying with her.

"Jadeite, I am not pleased with your efforts. Do I need to make an example out of you?"

"No, my liege. I am currently about to engage in a plan destined to deliver the senshi into our hands. And their energy with them." He said, his head still bent.

"What sort of plan?" she asked boredom saturating her voice.

"I don't want to go into detail just yet but it involves the simple tactic of divide and conquer." He said cryptically.

"Sounds devious." She said. "Very well. But I am sending Nephrite to help."

"As you wish." He said.

He didn't want Nephrite on his back. He was an interfering barbarian. He teleported back to his room where he feasted on the image of the girl. "A millennium and you're still a temptress that makes my blood boil." He said running a hand over the orb. "Tomorrow." He said and turned away to put his plan together.

"Rei?" Lita called. No answer. "Pyro!" she yelled.

"What?!"

"Wanna go get some lunch?" Lita asked.

"Why? Serena and the others ditch you?" Rei said smirking.

"Uh-no and I resent that you're implying I need to be ditched to go out with you." Rei narrowed her eyes.

"Trying to suck up to the new leader?" Rei questioned.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"Are you denying it? I haven't seen you or the others since I deliberately burnt myself so Sailor moron could have an alibi."

"First of all, I was out of town for a while, not that you cared to ask. Second of all, it is your duty as leader to make our identities are kept hidden. Serena would do no less. Thirdly, where do you get off throwing my friendship in my face like that? I thought we were friends. But obviously not. Since I'm not welcome, I'll just find my way back to town and have lunch by myself." Lita turned to go.

"Wait!" Rei sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just, I haven't heard from you guys in over a month. It's like you abandoned me."

"Would it have hurt to call us? This isn't a one way thing, you know." Lita said lowly. "Serena's lost her eyes. I would think you'd want to be there for her. I would think you'd wanna help her find a new way to fight with us. Or were you trying to kick her out for good?"

"How can you say a thing like that?"

"Baseless accusations hurt, don't they?" Lita said then smiled. "Come on. Let's go to the Arcade. The girls might be there." Lita said.

"Okay." Rei said. "Let me just change my shoes." She ran back in and then they headed to the Arcade.

Rei walked in and saw the girls sitting around a sad looking Serena. "Why the long face?" Rei asked coming up the table.

"Rei!" Serena cheered her face breaking into a smile. "Where the hell have you been for the past month?" she stood up and fumbled her way into a hug with the girl.

"Moping at home." Rei said.

"Why? Did you think we cast you off or something?" Serena asked then slapped the back of her head. "Idiot." Serena said with a smile.

"Don't hit me, you brat." Rei said hitting her back.

"Hey, be kinder to the blind kid." Serena said with a laugh.

"Kinder? I'll show you kinder." Rei said a she started tickling the girl.

This was the scene Darien saw when he came in. Serena's laugh sent a chill down his spine. He hadn't been able to get her off his mind. He'd cursed himself into oblivion for that challenge he issued to her. The girl had every right to want to stay away from him. He looked over at her again and she was looking in his direction. He was shocked. Could she see him?

"Serena? You okay?" Ami asked.

"D-did Darien just walk in?" she asked.

"Uh-yeah." Ami said after looking to the door.

"Is he standing by the door?" Serena asked.

"Yeah. Ca-can you see him?" Ami asked excited.

"Uhm-no. I can't. Isn't that funny? All I can see is darkness. My friends are sitting right here and I can't see them. But Darien, the bane of my existence for the past two years walks in and I know it's him. I know exactly where he's standing."

"Yeah. That is funny." Rei said. If the girls looked at her they would have seen the dark look that came over her face. "Let's invite him over."

"I don't think-"

"Too late. He's already coming over." Lita interrupted.

"Ladies." Darien said.

"Hi." They all chorused.

"How are you today?" he asked.

"Fine." They all said.

"Good. Is it okay if I steal Serena for a little bit?"

"If you're gonna pick a fight -"

"Not at all." He laughed. "In fact, it's more likely that I'll-well, let me just keep that tidbit to myself." He looked at Serena and he knew Serena caught this meaning.

"It's okay. I'll go with him."

"You make it sound like you're going with the devil." Rei said.

"I think I am." Serena said seriously.

"You knew it was me who came in just now?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I was looking at you girls and you were staring straight at me."

"So? I could have just been deep in thought." She lied.

"Am I really supposed to believe that?" he said as he helped her up onto the stool then took his seat beside her.

"Why would I lie?"

"So that you don't have to admit that you like me? So that you don't have to admit you want me to kiss you again." He said.

"Would you stop bringing that up? It was just a kiss." She said angrily but softly.

"Was it?" he said. "Any luck kissing Tuxedo Mask?"

"What is the matter with you? Just leave me alone." Serena said.

"Serena, if that was remotely possible-" he said then paused. "That perfume you're wearing, it's intoxicating."

"I don't wear perfume. It affects my sinuses." She said.

"Then I must say you smell really good." He said.

"You're a pervert." She exclaimed.

"Hmmm. It seems I only exhibit these characteristics when I'm around you." He said. "Look, I was hoping to call it quits between us but it seems almost impossible."

"You never had a problem before." Serena said.

"That's what you think. How about I take you out sometime?"

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes." He said and kissed her before she could answer.

"I really hate you right now."

"See you around, meatball head." He said and collected a coffee before swaggering out.

"Did Darien Shields just kiss you?" Rei exclaimed.

"He's been doing that lot lately. It's annoying the heck out of me." Serena responded angrily.

"How is it that I've been trying to get his attention and you manage to swipe him from me?"

"W-what? You think I made a play for the guy when I knew you liked him?"

"I wouldn't put it past you." Rei accused.

"Sure. On my sick bed, with my head wrapped up in gauze and bandages, I seduced Darien Shields away from you." Serena said. She carefully slid off the stool and Mina was at her side in a second. "If you want him, go get him. Use all your wiles on him for all I care." Mina glared at Rei before leading Serena off.

"Are you sure you're up to it today?" Mina asked stretching her arms above her head.

"I need to work off that anger. Rei had some nerve."

"Well, let's use that energy for some good." Mina said. "Now that you've learnt a new technique, let's work on finding the enemy."

"I've been wracking my brain and I can't come up with a thing." Serena said frowning.

"Let's warm up first." The fired off some shots and ran around to get their muscles warm then they practiced Serena's new technique.

"Okay. Let's try the sight thing. Let's sit down." They sat on the ground and breathed deeply to slow down their racing hearts. "Close your eyes. You won't be needing them."

"Then how-"

"Just trust me."

"Okay." She said and lowered her lids.

"Now think about me sitting next to you. Use your mind to figure out why I'm a certain side of you." Mina said.

"What?"

"You know, using your hearing that I'm on your right side. Now use your other senses." Serena tried it and found that she could smell the slight difference on her right side. She could feel the difference on her skin.

"Now turn your head and try to see me." Mina said. Serena did as she was told but after a few silent minutes, she cursed heavily and slammed her fist into the ground. The result was a quake that startled the two girls. "Did I do that?"

"I don't know. Try it again." Serena nodded and recreated in her mind her emotions then slammed her fist into the ground. The ground shook.

"You can do what I can do." Mina said in shock. "You reflect what I do."

"Reflect." Serena said thoughtfully "The moon reflects light. It doesn't have light of its own."

"But you have your own power."

"I reflected your power. Like light. You have your own light." They were silent for a second then Serena exclaimed. "That's it! Light. I need to look for your light." Serena said.

"Give it a shot. I guess." Mina said.

Serena went silent. She searched the darkness around her with her senses and when she found Mina she looked at her. She opened her eyes and there she was.

"I can see you. Well-your light anyway. I did it."

"Now all we need is a battle to test it out."

"Yeah." She said. "Won't the others be surprised." Serena said. "Let's go home. You staying over?"

"If you want me to."

"I need the company. Besides, you're like my sister."

"I am?" Mina asked surprised.

"You sound surprised."

"You always seemed to prefer Rei."

"Rei? Mina, I love Rei but you've been there for me whenever in needed you. I told you all my secrets."

"Yeah. You did."

"And you still haven't told me any of yours."

"That's because I'm an open book."

"Yeah right." Serena said and they both laughed.

Serena was just climbing into bed when her communicator went off. "Oh, why now? I need to sleep!" she wailed.

"Serena! In the park!" Jupiter shouted into the communicator.

"Is it ever anywhere else?" Serena complained before donning her costume and flying out the window. It wasn't easy picking her way across town to the park. In fact, she collided a few times with a few trees. She finally landed in the park, rubbing her sore nose. She had called Rei after colliding the last time.

"Great! You're here!" the monster said. "Now the party can start." It fired off a few shots at them, Serena narrowly missing some of them. She hadn't even settled down to find her friends yet. She scampered off for some cover and then she sought them out. She picked up Mina first. It was easy. She new what Mina would look like. She searched some more and then she picked on Ami. Ami was currently casting a fog over the area. She realized she could also feel the water vapor in the air. She found Lita next and had she steel herself against the charge that went through her. She looked around for Rei and when she found her, she had to look a second time. It was blurry but it was definitely Rei. The fact that the light surrounding Rei was dimming made her worry about her friend. The lights around her other friends was bright. Almost blinding. They got busy fighting the monster. When Ami sent a dagger of ice at the youma and it exploded, everyone stood in shock.

"Anyone else feel like this was too easy?" Lita said.

"Anyone feel like this is a trap?" Mina asked.

They all lowered into a fighting stance when Tuxedo Mask swung out of the shadows yelling. "Look out Sailor Mars!" But it was too late. Serena watched as dark energy surrounded Rei. She searched the energy for an identity and found none. She dug deeper and saw a tiny point of light. It flickered and Serena furrowed her brow in confusion.

"J-Jadeite?" she asked and the energy laughed.

"So the Sailor Brat can see after all. There was a nasty rumor going around that you'd gone blind." He said smugly. "Pity."

"Let Mars go!" Ami demanded.

"I don't think I will." He said seriously. "You see, Mars is going to help me defeat you." He said.

"You're demented." Rei said as she struggled against him. He shook his head at her attempts.

"I don't think I want you struggling all the way back to your new home." He conked her on the bag of her head and she slumped forward.

"Sailor Mars!" the girls yelled.

"Now, I won't be staying for a fight. The next time you see your precious Sailor Mars, she'll be totally and completely loyal to me." He said and then they vanished into a vortex. Serena jumped at the swirl of energy but Tuxedo Mask secured her to by grabbing her waist.

"No! Let me go! I've got to get her back!"

"It's foolish to dive into that, Sailor Moon. You don't know what could happen to you." He protested as she struggled against him. He was surprised at her strength. The vortex closed and Serena screamed at agony, slumping in defeat against her captor.

"Sailor Mars." She mourned softly as the tears flooded her eyes.

"We'll get her back." Mina said though her words were squeezed out around sobs.

"Sailor Mars." Serena repeated.

"W-what do we tell her family?" Ami said. The coolness of her tone did nothing to hide the emotions she was holding at bay. Serena was past words. She hung like a limp doll in Tuxedo Mask's arms, who was looking increasingly uncomfortable.

"Sailor Moon?" Ami said.

"Don't talk to me!" she screamed at Ami. "He stole her and I just stood and watched. I didn't do a damn thing! And you-" she swung around to face Tuxedo Mask to tear into him and had to cough to prevent herself from choking to death. She wasn't sure on what. "Oh my go-you're-I-Da" she couldn't formulate what her brain was trying to say but the startled look on his face, then the fear made it obvious her jumbled message came across loud and clear to him.

"What is it?" Lita asked confused by the abrupt change in her friend's emotion.

"He's-mmmm." Tuxedo Mask slapped a hand on her mouth and then cast a wary eye on the girls that looked ready to attack. Rather than stick around to find out what Sailor Jupiter could do to him, he took off…with an extra passenger. He knew they were giving chase but he was good at evading them. They used to chase him so they could find out whom he was before giving up and just accepting that he was there to help. After a few minutes, he had lost them. He hurried to his apartment then deposited the furious Sailor Scout on his sofa.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"Trying to prevent my secret from coming out. I worked hard to keep my day life separate from this life. I want to keep it that way."

"And you think that I won't still tell them once I'm out of here?"

"Then I'll just have to keep you here." He said.

"And my family will wonder what happened to me. Plus they'll be doubly worried when they find out Sailor Mars didn't come home either." Serena said logically. She watched him and realized she could see his moods change as his thought process about this whole affair changed.

"Well, I'll just have to make sure you keep my secret in another way." He said advancing on her.

"What are you doing?" she said.

"I'm going find out who you are." He said.

"No!" she vaulted over the back of the sofa and faced him. "You won't like what you see, Darien." She said. He paused and looked at her.

"Say that again." He said and she frowned at him.

"S-say what again."

"My name."

"Why?"

"I like the way you say it."

"Look, tux-boy, I'm gonna go home now and you're going leave me alone." She said moving cautiously to the window. She screamed when he launched himself at her and tackled her to the ground.

"Now-"

"No. Please don't. You'll regret it." She pleaded as he fought him. She was trying to tamp down the arousal coursing through her bloodstream.

"How?" he asked leaning over her. "It's only fair." Then he frowned. "How did you know it was me under this mask? More importantly, how do you know me? Its obvious we know each other outside of this whole affair."

"Okay, look, I promise to keep this to myself if you'll just forget about exposing me."

"Hmmm. I have your word you won't tell your friends?"

"I-I-promise. You have my word. If anyone finds out about you, it won't be from me." She said. She watched him.

"Fine. I accept but I want something in return."

"What?"

"A kiss." He said. She thought for a moment.

_What harm could a kiss do?_ She nodded her acceptance of the terms. "But not on the lips." She said.

"On the lips." He insisted.

"No."

"Then-"

"Fine. But no tongue." She said. She knew that if the kiss went too far, she'd possibly never get out of here with her identity – and virginity – in tack.

"Let's just see where it goes." He said before claiming her lips. She stiffened against him and resolutely kept him out of her mouth. He was amused at her attempts. He bit her bottom lips and earned the expected gasp. It was downhill for the both of them from there. He pulled her up off the floor and into his arms as he stood with her. He molded her to him even as she protested against the intimate contact.

Serena was pushing against him because she knew in a second it would click for him. He would recognize that the person he was kissing was his opponent in war. She pushed hard but her weakening limbs worked against her. He was kissing her neck when he stopped. The only thing she could hear was his ragged breath and she knew it was over for her. She closed her eyes but she couldn't shut out the image of him moving to stare at her face. She cursed her new abilities.

"Serena?" he said incredulously. She angled her head away from him but a forefinger forced her face back to him. "Open your eyes." He insisted in a harsh whisper.

"Why? It's not like I can see." She said opening them anyway.

"But-you could see-"

"What a little training can do." She stated angrily. "Let me go."

"No." He said. "I've been fighting along side you for the past two years and never knew. Why?"

"You also picked on me for the past two years."

"And you were in love with me for the past two years."

"What? Did you hit your head today?"

"You deny being in love with Tuxedo Mask?"

"Absolutely. I will admit having a mild crush on _him_ but it was never in anyway associated with you." She bit out. "I do not like you. And since I made this startling discovery, I do not like Tuxedo Mask. Now release me." She said.

"Back to that. How did you recognize me?"

"How did you recognize me?" she retorted.

"You have a unique, intoxicating smell. Didn't I already tell you this? I recognized it immediately. Now, answer my question."

"No."

"Then I'll kiss you again."

"That's not exactly torture, Darien." She said knowing how wrong she was. His kisses burned her to the core, killing her with each stroke of his tongue.

"So you like kissing me?"

"No. I like kissing. The other boys I've kissed seem to like it too."

"You're lying."

"Am I?" she asked. She blinked trying hard to sink back into the darkness of her mind.

"What's the big deal? Is it some big secret?"

"Yes. Leaking it might put the scouts in danger. Now let me go."

"No."

"If you don't want the scouts finding out who you are, you had better let me go because they are on their way here."

"How?"

"Our communicators can be used to track each other. Right now, mine is telling them where I am." He released her and stood away from her.

"We will need to talk about this again."

"No. I want you to stay the hell away from me, Tuxedo Mask and Darien Shields."

"I don't think I can do that."

"Then be warned. If you get in my way, don't be surprised if you get hurt." With that, she jumped from his balcony and disappeared into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

In the Dark 4

Initially, they made a big deal of avoiding each other – well on Serena's part anyway. Though, you can hardly stop her from waking up late now and then. At the Arcade, she never sat at the bar, she never ordered her own food and if she could, she didn't go into the Arcade. Darien was another story. In fact, what he ended up doing could be called stalking. And when he realized what he was doing, he found new ways to describe his idiotic behaviour. From then on, meetings were completely accidental with only a few resulting in an argument.

So far, there had been no youma attack and any hopes of finding Sailor Mars seemed non-existent. In fact, it seemed that one of Serena's friend's was missing.

"Is it too coincidental to be true?" he murmured to himself. His eyes roamed over the four girls and similarities seemed more glaring than ever before. The quiet composure of Sailor Mercury, the kick-ass attitude of Sailor Jupiter, the only other blonde in Juuban and the missing one-could he and all of Juuban be that dense? He sighed. It wasn't hard to cast aside the theory. When the idea that Serena was Sailor Moon first came to him, it was too incredible to even give further serious consideration. And look how that turned out. Other reasons why they were the famous scouts ran through his mind and he shook his head in disbelief.

He looked over at Serena and his heart broke for her. Not even the prospect of being permanently blind had made her seem so helpless. So hopeless. He wanted to go to her, but he could not force his presence on her now. Not when she didn't want it. He sighed again, unknowingly ticking off Andrew.

"Geez, man, you're scaring away the customers." He complained.

"Sorry." He muttered but his face did not change.

"Just go talk to her."

"She made it clear that I was to stay away from her."

"That never stopped you before."

"That was before one of her friends disappeared."

"Well, I think now is the time to prove to her that you're more than her tormentor."

"Not with her friends around. She'd say no, they'd get anxious and I'd probably be knocked on my ass for bugging her."

"Then you wait until she's alone and willing to allow someone else – you – to be strong for her."

"An unlikely occasion." He sipped his coffee and wondered why his favourite beverage seemed so tasteless.

"Not so unlikely, the others are leaving." Darien didn't look to confirm.

She tapped him on the shoulder berating herself for disobeying a direct order. "Darien?" his blue eyes assessed her then turned back to the counter.

"What?"

"Look, I'm not supposed to say anything but she really needs someone right now. None of us are any help-just-I don't know-" she shrugged then left. Darien looked at the blonde head as it stared into the finite glass of smoothie. He heard glass scraping and he saw that Andrew was sliding mint chocolate ice-cream to him. Seeing that, he ventured with the peace offering to the unpredictable woman.

"Mina should mind her own business." She said by way of greeting.

"She's just looking out for you."

"She should have sent Andrew." She said.

"Like he could survive one of your rages. Me? I'm rock. Except when you're this sad." He said and gently guided her hand to the treat.

"Bribery?"

"Is it working?"

"Maybe." She said and tried a shaky smile. "What am I going to do, Darien? I gave up being the leader because I thought they'd be better off. Look where that got us? I'm blind and Mars is missing." She felt for the spoon and helped herself to some of the cool treat. "I've failed. I've failed them and I've failed the princess."

"Princess? What Princess?" he asked hoping that they were talking about two different people.

"And I can't keep my big mouth shut either. Just forget it. It's a side mission of sorts. Get rid of Beryl find the fabled moon princess. And I'm still running my mouth." She filled said mouth with ice cream and frowned. She finally looked up, that vacant stare making his heart break.

"I should have been protecting you that night. You wouldn't have-" he said touching a finger to the corner of her eye. She pulled back and frowned.

"I should have been able to take care of myself." She said harshly. "I should have been able to stop him from taking her." She said tears gathering but not falling. He took her hand and held it when she would have pulled it back.

"You were just a kid when this started. You did what you could. And you're still doing that."

"I'm not doing anything. I'm moping around hoping that those bastards will show up with Mars in tow." She said. "How is that doing anything? Fours years and I've yet to glimpse that witch of a woman, Beryl." She said. She visibly shuddered. "But without that damnable princess, we can't even hope to beat her." He got up and slid in beside her so that he could hold her. "Don't-"

"Stop trying to carry the weight of the world by yourself. Just this once, let me help." He said and held her. She was stiff against him for a long while before she sighed and allowed the embrace.

"Th-Thank you." She whispered burying her head against his chest.

He realized she had fallen asleep because she hadn't moved in a while. He supported her back while he confirmed. "You should take her home." Andrew said as he collected the glass of melted ice-cream.

"They'd probably think I was kidnapping her or something." He said gesturing to the clientele.

"Suit yourself." Andrew replied then left. He pulled her across his lap, an easy thing to do, and used the wall as a support for himself.

"At least you don't snore." He said to the sleeping girl. He looked down at her and took in her features. Her sightless eyes were closed, her brow furrowed lightly. Her lips were parted, the only sign that she was slightly relaxed. He ran a finger across the worry lines and they smoothed immediately. "How do I choose between the princess and you?" he whispered. Her mouth moved as if to answer but she only sighed. His finger traced the soft lips and he wondered how he ended up here. He'd been aggravated by her and now – he couldn't get enough of her. Not that she returned the sentiment. Unable to deny himself, he brushed a kiss across her mouth. She stirred, her eyes blinking furiously then she whispered.

"You have to find me, my prince. You must find me." He must have started squeezing her because then she did wake up, confusion and pain written across her face. "I can't breathe, Darien."

"S-Sorry. I must have dozed off."

"Do you usually try to suffocate your women in their sleep?" she asked wriggling when he still hadn't loosened his grip. "Let go." She complained softly.

"Sorry." He loosened his hold but didn't release her. He looked at her knowing she couldn't see him staring.

"I know you're staring, Shields."

"Can't help it." He said.

"Why were you trying to kill me in my sleep?" she questioned when she realized he had no intention of letting her go.

"I wasn't. You scared the crap out of me just now." He whispered looking around.

"What? Why? What happened?"

"You said-you said 'you must find me, my prince. You must find me' then you woke up."

"What does that mean? Why would I call you my prince?" she sneered.

"Don't sound so loving about it." He said sarcastically. "Maybe you're channeling the princess or something."

"Still, why would you be the prince?"

"I don't know. She's been telling me to find her for a while now and-what?"

"You know about the princess? How?"

"Dreams." He said and lifted a shoulder carelessly.

"Dreams?"

"Yeah."

"We need to go. No. I need to have a meeting with-"

"The scouts?" he finished. "No. You are not to tell them anything about this."

"But if you have way of finding the-"

"I don't know how to find her. She keeps talking about some crystal then she vanishes."

"I can't keep this from-"

"You will."

"No, I'm not." She started to struggle against him but his arms locked around her like a vise. "Let-"

"We're leaving." He lifted her out of the seat and carried her out of the arcade. She was too stunned to protest until he was strapping her into the car.

"Wait-" the door closed in her face, and then he was sliding into his seat.

"Where are you taking me?"

"My apartment."

"Are you crazy? I'm going home. You're taking me home."

"No."

"I'll just run away you know. Then I'll tell the girls-"

"I have my ways of keeping you from doing that." He threatened.

"Why don't you want us to find her? Are you-"

"I don't want to find her. Dammit!" he yelled slamming his hand against the wheel.

"You're working for Beryl, aren't you?" She exclaimed.

"Are you kidding me? No. I'm not working for Beryl!"

"Then why-"

"It doesn't matter. We'll find her anyway." He said and she swore she saw regret in it.

"Stop the car."

"I can't stop here."

"Let me out or I'll jump out." She said. He engaged the locks and sped up. She stared at him in surprise. "I'm being abducted by the jerk." She said incredulously. She sat back, fear and anger warring within her. Then something clicked. She had been staring at him. She had been looking at him. She had seen him, sitting across from her. She whipped around to look at him, to see if she really could…

Disappointment washed over her like a flood and she couldn't help it then, she cried. The car jerked to a stop and she was being pulled out of her seat. "Shit. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry, Serena." He held her to him and she buried her face in his neck.

"Why does my life suck? Why couldn't I be a normal girl? Why-"

"Ssshh. It's okay." He squeezed her to him and she wished she could be closer. It was almost as if she wanted to wear him. She rubbed her crying eyes against his neck, her hands crushing his shirt beyond repair.

"I-I-"

"Just let it out. Just cry." He said and she did. She cried great wracking sobs shaking them both. He had to fight to keep his own tears at bay. Eventually, she calmed down; the only sounds in the car were her sniffles and his breathing.

"I don't know what to do." She admitted. "They are depending on me to find Mars, the princess and somehow save the world. I don't know if I can do this anymore."

"We should make sure you're okay then we can see about finding Sailor Mars."

"I won't be okay until I get her back. I'm losing her."

"No you're-"

"You wouldn't understand. Forget it." She said and shifted. "Maybe you should put me back in my seat."

"What if I like you just where you are?" she stiffened against him.

"Are you coming on to me, Shields?"

"I prefer when you call me Darien. And if I was, what would you do?" he said and deliberately nuzzled her neck.

"You-You-you lecher." She said and struggled to free herself of his embrace.

"Calm down, Serena." He said against her ear. "I'm not gonna do anything you don't want me to." He said and this time she pummeled his chest. There was no way he was going to figure out what she wanted him to do. It was embarrassing enough that she was thinking it. He chuckled and she felt the sound in places she knew she shouldn't. He finally loosened his hold and she bumped into the horn.

"You know, you're a real jerk." She said and glowered at him.

"At least you're not crying anymore." He said smugly.

"You're still a jerk." She said. "And stop teasing me." She demanded as an afterthought.

"Serena, you don't want me to stop teasing you. Trust me." He resettled her in the passenger's seat and restarted the car.

Fifteen minutes later, he stopped in front of her house. It was just past sunset so it was still light out. "Um-so thanks for well-everything. I would-"

"If you don't wanna be ravished in the back seat, you best say good night."

"As if I'd get anywhere near your back seat." She said in anger. "You've got some nerve thinking I'd let you even-"

"Serena, please get out of my car. I don't think your father would appreciate finding his daughter being –uh-pleasured on the lawn." She blushed, she was sure of it and her mouth worked over time to say-well-anything. Her hands seemed to think getting out of his car expediently was in her best interest.

"You really are an old pervert." She muttered as she set her foot gingerly down. She used the door to steady herself then closed it. She turned and stood stock still. She was trying to figure out how she should make her way to the door. Should she crawl? Should she just use her foot to feel where she was going? She fisted her hand and sighed. "Crawl it is." She said and began the descent down.

"You know," his voice said against her ear as his arm guided her back to standing. "You're too stubborn for your own good." He started to walk with her then added. "And I need to remember that you can't see right now."

"I hate you."

"Sure you do." He said. He placed her hand on the doorknob then just because, he kissed her. "That's why you can't keep away from me." He turned to move away, a chuckle on his breath.

"Wait-we need to talk about the princess."

"There's nothing to say."

"I am going to find her, you know. When I do, you can explain to her why her supposed prince doesn't want her to be found." She waited for him to reply but the only sound was of his retreating footsteps then the car as it drove away.

It took begging and pleading for her parents to let her out of the house the next day. If it wasn't for school, she'd be at home staring at darkness. She was quietly eating her lunch when the girls suddenly stopped talking.

"Guys?"

"Uh-We're here."

"I know. Why the sudden silence?" she angled her head and listened to her surroundings. "Who is it?"

"Darien." Lita said.

"Darien?" she said in confusion.

"Yeah." Mina confirmed.

"Darien's not here." Serena said anxiously. She gripped the table hard and waited. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"You are not as dumb as they say, Sailor Moon." The voice said. Suddenly everything went quiet. There were no talking students, rustling leaves or even the sound of the wind. Everything seemed to stop. Except them. Hands were laid on her and she struggled until she realized it was the others.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"It's one of Beryl's generals." Ami said as she tired to catch her breath.

"A new one? So where's Jadeite?"

"We'll ask him that once we transform and can defend ourselves." Lita said. She was the first to transform. The others followed suit. The new enemy came upon them shortly after.

"Where's Jadeite?" Sailor Venus shouted. The man laughed.

"That bumbling idiot? Why do you want him?"

"IS he dead?"

"Unfortunately not. He managed to evade his deserved punishment. I doubt we'll be hearing from him again."

"What about-" Sailor Moon wanted to ask but she wasn't sure her heart could take it.

"Don't be concerned for your precious Sailor Mars. She may have been taken against her will but she stays away by choice."

"You're lying." Sailor Jupiter said. She made to attack him but he was quicker. He hit her with a tiny bolt of electricity.

"So foolish, princess." He said and chuckled. "You were never able to beat me." He grabbed her. "Maybe I should be following that idiot. He might have actually done something right for once." Confusion was rife among the scouts as Jupiter finally managed to break free from the man's grasp. A red rose sliced through the tension and actually hit the general.

"Tuxedo Mask!" Mercury announced.

"The suited hero." The general said and laughed. He turned to look at the newcomer and smiled. "Queen Beryl will thank me to deliver you to her." No one was more surprised than Serena when she jumped between Darien and the newcomer.

"Who are you?" she said.

"The Sailor brat actually has gumption. Very well, I am Nephrite." He bowed graciously.

"What was all that nonsense before about?"

"Hmmm…it seems you are not as informed as we are about your past. Makes no difference. You'll soon die." He raised his hand but Sailor Moon stopped any forthcoming attacks. She launched herself at the man and landed a blow worthy of Sailor Jupiter. Nephrite looked up in shock at the slight girl. He wasn't alone. Venus was the only one who seemed to expect anything from the small woman. Nephrite suddenly vanished and the world started to spin again.

"Whoa, Moon. You totally knocked his ass over." Jupiter cheered.

"Wow." Mercury said. "It seems we have a new problem." She said typing away on her compact. She swung it in Jupiter's direction and murmured.

"What is it?" Venus said worriedly.

"We've been compromised. All of us, except, Sailor Moon."

"Compromised? What do you mean?"

"He found us without us being transformed."

"How?"

"Jupiter." Mercury said.

"What do you mean? I led him here? Or are you implying that-"

"He found us because he seems to know you. And by extension, us."

"But I've never met him before." Sailor Jupiter exploded.

"I think we should discuss this at Sailor Moon's place. We have an audience." Venus said and waved shyly to the crowd. As if synchronized, they all left the area, Tuxedo Mask hot on their tail.

"We've been followed." Lita said when she saw Tuxedo Mask lounging in Serena's tree.

"Don't worry about him." Serena said. "He's no trouble."

"But he knows-"

"He won't tell because I know who he is." She said. "Now what do you mean that man knows Lita."

"Luna?" Serena prompted.

"Nephrite and Jadeite were once soldiers of the court of earth, guardians of the Earth Crown Prince. They and two others."

"What does that have to do with Lita?"

"The inner planets – you girls – are the guardians of the moon princess. On occasion, the guardians would meet, in secret of course."

"Secret? Why secret?"

"The Moon Princess and the Crown prince were having a secret affair and it was required that at least one scout be present with the girl. The same was true for the Crown prince."

"And?"

"It was rumored that a few of the inner scouts took a liking to one or two of the generals."

"You mean-"

"Only Mars and Jupiter were ever confirmed by my sources. If Mercury or Venus were ever involved with any of the generals, I never knew of it."

"So why are the generals serving Beryl and not the Crown Prince? Where is he?"

"Like the Moon Princess, we have been unable to find him. And the generals had been brainwashed by Beryl during the former Moon Queen's reign. They were the ones responsible for the death of the inner and outer scouts."

"And you waited four years to tell us this why?" Serena asked, anger lacing her voice.

"Artemis and I remember only bits and pieces. That which we deem important, we relay to you."

"And what about the princess? Can you explain to us why Tux-Boy is seeing her in his dreams?" Silence reigned and then all eyes turned to the lounging hero. "Maybe you should join us." She said to Tuxedo Mask. "Let it all hang out now. Secrecy doesn't seem so important among each other now."

"No." he said simply and made to leave.

"If you even think of leaving, I'll just take them to your house." She warned.

"Never knew you were so conniving, Serena." He said and climbed through her window. A snap of the fingers revealed him to the surprised audience. "I hope this doesn't blow up in our faces."

After a stunned silence, Luna cleared her throat. "The only explanation would be that Darien is the former Crown Prince."

"That much I figured." Serena confirmed. "So, if he's brainwashed, why would Jadeite abduct Rei?"

"I can answer that." Artemis spoke up. "Even brainwashed, they have the memories of their former life. Beryl is a cruel mistress. She likes torture. What better way to torture the Crown Prince by having his own generals kill him."

"You mean one of his friends killed him?"

"No. Beryl beat them to it."

"And the Princess?"

"She killed herself."

"She was that much of a coward?" Serena asked in surprise. "Then what help is she gonna be?"

"You misunderstand, Serena." Luna said. "Other than the fact that seeing the love of her life die in front of her would kill her eventually, she had to protect the power of the moon. With her death, Beryl could never claim the power for herself."

"Love of her life huh?" Serena said and angled her head towards Darien. Darien glared at her, something the girls didn't miss.

"I think we have a new major problem. If the generals are abducting their former loves, we're all in danger. This Nephrite has already suggested he might try it with Lita."

"Like he could." Lita growled. "I'll knock him sideways for being so weak. No man of mine would kneel to Beryl."

"What we need now is a plan." Ami said. "Other than finding the princess, we need to protect ourselves. Lita for the most part."

"How do we find the princess though?" Serena asked. "She had eluded us this far. And she only talks to Darien. And from what he says, she doesn't say much." Darien nodded to confirm.

"What about the problem of Serena's lack of sight?" he asked.

"I am fine where that is concerned." Serena said.

"How long before they find out that you are blind and then find a way to disrupt this new way of sight?" he asked. "I will not take the chance of some general deciding he wants you back too."

"That won't be a problem." Luna said.

"Why not?" Mina asked. They all looked curiously at Luna.

"However little we remember, we do know that Sailor Moon didn't exist in the former Moon Kingdom." Silence reigned.

"I didn't exist?" Serena said incredulously. She swallowed the reflexive tears. "Which means I really wasn't the leader of the scouts then. I'm not even a real scout." She said.

"Well-" Luna started. When it was clear she had nothing to say, silence once again reigned.

The next few days were torture. Youmas decided to take a vacation in Juuban. Twice, Lita had to beat Nephrite to a bloody pulp for trying to run off with her. The real blow was when a vampiric youma drained a five people and then got away. They died a few hours after the incident. Serena was devastated. And they still hadn't seen or heard from Rei.

"Things aren't going well." Mina said. Discouragement echoed through her being. "Could Nephrite be telling the truth? Is Rei really staying away from us by choice?"

"I won't believe it." Lita said and slapped her fist in her hand. "Rei loves us. She's our leader. She's our friend."

"But does she know that?" Serena asked.

"What?" Lita said.

"Does she know how much we love her? Does she know that she is a good person? Does she know?" Serena muttered.

"What's wrong with you? Of course she knows." Lita defended.

"I'm sorry. I gotta go." Serena suddenly said then left. Mina got up to go with her. "No. I need to be by myself for a little while." She said softly.

"That's not exactly safe in your condition, Serena." Mina said

"My condition?" Serena chuckled sadly. "Don't worry yourself about it, Mina. If you look close enough, you'll see that I have my own guardian angel." She said cryptically. "I'll see you guys later. I just need some time to think."


	5. Chapter 5

In the Dark 5

"Why so glum?" The richness of his tone made her smile. His arms slipped around her and then he kissed her bare shoulder.

"I'm fine." She said softly and turned to bury her face in the warmth of his chest. He used on finger to lift her face to his and kissed her lips.

"You're lying." He chided. He cupped her cheek and frowned at her. "You miss them." He stated. He was selfish enough to admit that this bothered him. He should be enough for her.

"Jed-" she sighed and tried to hide her face. "I know I shouldn't. They have been nothing but terrible to me since-since-" she paused, confused at the lack of memory.

"You don't need them."

_But they need me._ She thought. "I know. I know that. Maybe I just need to see them. One last time." Jadeite frowned. If she spoke to them, all his work would be undone. This made him frown even more. He was disgusted with himself. He had done the same thing to her-the same thing that witch did to him and his former friends. No amount of memories could help the frustration that eroded their friendship. Especially poor Zoicite. He must have pissed Beryl off to be cursed like that.

"I don't want you to get upset. Are you sure going to see them is a good idea?"

"I wish I knew. Something just feels so-so-off." She played with the hair at the back of his head and chewed on the inside of her lip. She pulled his head down and kissed him deeply. "And yet some things just feel so right." She buried her head in his neck and held on to him.

She snuck out the next day. Being around him addled her mind. He was keeping something from her. She needed to see the girls. She needed to let them know she was okay. She owed them that much. She saw Lita sitting at the very top of the stairs and went to her.

"Lita?" Lita jumped up in alarm then recognition overtook her features.

"Oh my-Rei!" she hugged her fiercely, tears forming and overflowing. "I'm so glad you're okay. You are okay right?" she held her back and checked her over. "He didn't hurt you did he? If that bastard lay a finger on you, I'll castrate him then cut off his fingers one at a time."

"Lita! Relax. He didn't hurt me." Rei said.

"The girls are going to be so glad to see you. Serena most of all. She's been so torn up about this." Lita said carting the young woman off to the Arcade where the others were eating silently.

Serena was the first to notice that Rei was back. As soon as the door closed behind the girl, Serena had hazardously rushed over and flattened the poor girl. Two people paid the price for Serena's haste. Serena kissed the girl's face, tears washing the surprised features. "Rei!" she cried as she finally hugged her and just cried. The others soon surrounded them and more crying ensued. Even Andrew shed a tear at the return of the young woman. Serena couldn't be separated from her. It took Lita and Andrew to help the two women to a booth.

"Are you okay, Rei?" Ami asked and touched her as if she thought she would disappear.

"I'm fine. I promise." She smiled, uncertainty making her uncomfortable. Mina kept touching her hair. Lita was looking at her, barely blinking. Serena-well she was apparently glued to her. "You can let go, Serena." She said. Serena shook her head in disagreement.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight. You might disappear again. I don't think I could take it, Rei. I'm sure I'd die this time." She said.

"Let's have a sleep over." Mina suggested. "We'll stay at Rei's. We'll pamper her and scour her body for any injury that man might have placed on her." Rei chuckled nervously. She knew if they saw all the love bites she'd gotten, they'd take it the wrong way.

"No way. I'm fine just being with you guys." The initial thought was a lie but once she said it, the more truthful it seemed. Why did she feel so at home with them?

"Rei, I'm sorry if the past weeks seemed like we didn't love you. But Rei, I love you so much and I'm sorry for being so horrible to you." Serena said.

"Me too." Mina said. "I was so jealous of you that I forgot how great you are. I am so sorry and I promise to make it up to you."

"Us too." Ami said. "Are you sure you're okay?" she said tears filling her eyes.

"Yeah, Ami. I fine."

Jadeite looked through the window at the scene and oddly, he was relieved. She was back where she was supposed to be. No matter how it hurt that she wasn't with him. "Maybe we should talk." A voice said to him. He stiffened and turned to look at the man. "Your highness!" the address slipped out but he couldn't help it.

"Noted." Darien said. "But we need to have a chat about recent events." He gripped the other man's arm and dragged him away from the window.

"What do you want?" he looked around. He couldn't take the chance of Nephrite finding him.

"I don't care if you were stupid enough to be brainwashed, you should have known better than to make off with Sailor Mars."

"What do you intend to do about it?" Jadeite asked smugly.

"You always were the most immature of the lot." Darien said. "A few weeks in prison would do you good."

"These puny jails can't hold me." Jadeite said.

"Who said anything about jail? You do remember how I punished my guards, don't you?" Darien had never seen anybody turn white so quickly. He saw he was about to make his escape. One snap of his finger and Jadeite knew he wouldn't see the light of day for a while. He resigned himself to his fate. Maybe there, he would be able to fight the hold that Beryl's darkness had over him and eventually, win.

"Please tell Rei I'll see her soon." He whispered from the darkness. "And tell her friends I am sorry. I never wanted this." The remorse was enough to convince Darien. He would speak with Rei privately.

It was a while before he could get Rei by herself. When he did, he wasted no time. The girls would seek her out eventually. "Darien?"

"I don't know what went on between you and Jadeite, and I don't want to. But whatever it was, it may have been the key factor in his inevitable battle with the darkness."

"What? Where is he?" She was concerned for him but more so, she was angry. She'd discovered his duplicity and wanted to box his ears. Maybe singe a few of his hairs.

"He is where he needs to be right now. But he gave me a message for you. He said, he'd see you soon."

"Did you do something with him?" she looked at him, fire sparking in her eyes. Darien glared at her.

"Remember your place, Princess Mars." He said and it shocked the both of them. Before he could ponder it further, he heard himself say. "Jadeite was my subject and I'll punish him as I see fit. But don't worry. He's alive." Rei stared aghast at him.

"You-You-" she gasped. "I can't believe I liked you." Darien smiled then shrugged. Rei turned as red as a tomato. "Oh my gosh. I had a crush on my cousin?" It was Darien's turn to be stunned.

"I think I'll go before we find out anything more embarrassing."

"What could be more embarrassing or nauseating than that?" she held her stomach, bile backing up into her throat.

"How about walking in on you and Jed in the middle of-" he stopped and they both turned red. "I'll be seeing you, Rei."

They were enjoying chocolate chip cookies at Serena's house a week later when Mina suddenly burst out laughing. The girls looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. "I think she's finally lost it." Lita whispered to Ami.

"I always knew she was a few screws loose." Rei whispered to Serena. Serena just looked at Mina with a confused expression on her face.

"Mina?" Ami said. "Would you mind sharing what's so funny?" Mina covered her mouth and looked at Rei then burst out laughing again.

"Mina!" Serena complained.

"Alright! Give me a second." She breathed deeply and almost lost it when she looked at Rei but she held it. "I just remembered something."

"What?"

"Back then, when we were princesses and everything-" she giggled a little.

"Yeah?" Lita said intrigued.

"Rei and Darien were cousins!" she burst out laughing again. She held her belly as she rolled on the ground in front of the stunned girls. Rei turned red under the scrutiny before Lita fit the puzzles together.

"Cousins, huh?" she nudged Rei.

"Don't even-" but Serena's exclamation cut them off.

"You had a crush on your cousin!" That sent Mina into another laughing fit. Soon, all the girls were laughing. Even Rei.

"Guys!" she complained through the laughter. "Sere-" she laughed. "I'm so sorry." When the laughter finally subsided, they were all exhausted.

"It's a good thing I swiped him huh?" Serena teased.

"Yeah it was." Rei saw the pained look that marred the girl's features and she touched her hand. "I'm really sorry about how I treated you regarding him. Even if he wasn't my cousin, I should have seen that you would never do something like that to me." Serena sniffled but held her tears and hugged Rei. But Rei could still see that something was wrong. Even the other girls were avoiding making direct eye contact.

"Alright, spill. What's going on?" she said.

"Well-"

"Don't make me pull rank." She teased and they relaxed a little.

"While you were gone we found out quite a few things. Well, actually Luna and Artemis remembered some things and told us." Mina said.

"And?" Rei prompted.

"Well, we learned that Darien was the crown prince –which I think you know already." Rei nodded. "He was having a clandestine affair with the Moon Princess." Ami continued.

"And apparently, you and Lita here decided to follow in her footsteps." Mina chuckled. Rei glanced at Lita who was busy pretending to watch a bird on the windowsill. Her blush was unmistakable.

"And what about you two?" Rei asked.

"Luna said she didn't know one way or the other." Ami shrugged. "But the major concern is that-that Sailor Moon didn't exist."

Rei looked at the girl. "Serena didn't exist? That's not remotely possible. Can you see any of us being friends, in any life, if Serena didn't exist?"

"No." Mina admitted. "But how do we explain that Luna and Artemis didn't know of her back then?"

"When we find the Moon Princess, we'll ask her about it. Maybe they had some secret moon force that not even the court advisors knew about." They all nodded.

"How are we on finding her though?" Rei asked.

"Well, Nephrite has enlightened us about some Rainbow Crystals. Luna said there are seven and if we find them all, we'll find the Princess. So far, we have two. Darien apparently had gotten one from Jadeite a long time ago. We have the other one."

"Why doesn't he give us the one he has?"

"We think it's better not to walk around with all of them." Ami said.

"You're right." Rei said. "Do we know how to find them?"

"I'm working on it. So far, both crystals have come from inside people. We're looking at people with abnormal psychic abilities. I've narrowed the field to fifty and thankfully they're all living in Japan."

"Well that's a bit of good news." Rei said then she looked at Serena. "You okay?"

"I guess." She shrugged. "It's not easy living with the fact that you're an extra player – possibly expendable once we find the princess." She said sadly then sighed.

Mina added the most hurtful part. "And it doesn't help any that Darien – your former enemy – now boyfriend-"

"He is not my boyfriend." She insisted.

"But you like him well enough." Lita supplied.

"It doesn't help that he's the Moon Princess's lover." Mina finished. Rei hugged the wilting girl now.

"My life sucks." She muttered. "I get thrown into a fight none of us wanted to be apart of. I lose my sight. I allow one of my closest friends to be abducted right before my eyes. People died because I wasn't quick enough. Then worst of all, I fall in love with a guy that is most likely in love with the person who can save the world."

"You love him?" Rei said.

"How could I not? Even you love him." She said flopped unto her bed. "I can see why the Moon Princess would fall in love with him."

"Oh Sere." Rei said. She hugged the girl. "I'm sure things will work out." She tried to reassure her but it sounded like an empty promise even to her. History didn't seem to be working in the girl's favour. So far, she had been reunited with her former lover. Lita's was bent on stealing her away. Did the fact that the Moon Scout didn't exist in the past spell doom for the young girl? Rei held her tighter. She'd change it if it came to that. She would not die. Serena would survive.

_Find me. Please find me. _

_**How do I find you?**_

_The Crystal. You must find it._

_**I don't know how to find it.**_

_Look inside your heart. Find me, my prince. My love._

Darien bolted upright. Sweat drenched him and he growled in frustration. The damn dream never changed. And no matter how he wished it away, it always came back. He didn't love this woman. He shook his head at the obvious lie. His heart yearned for this mysterious princess like nothing else. He felt so stupid. He felt like a monster. He had pursued another woman – for that is what she now was – even though he knew of this pang for another. Serena's eyes swam up before him as he laid back down. Her eyes held such emotion. Fury. Sadness. Irritation. Hunger. Adoration. He could go on and on.

"Serena." He whispered to the darkness and as if it was an incantation meant to conjure her, she was there. He jumped up startled. "Serena?"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here." She got off the bed where she had sat down and hurried out of his room. He caught her just as she opened the door to his balcony. He pulled her back and slammed it shut.

"What are you doing here? It's-" he looked at the clock on his radio. "Two in the morning."

"I know. I'm leaving." He sighed and led her over to the sofa.

"What's wrong?" he sat beside her and waited.

"I just-I just-" she had come there to tell him how she felt but now she couldn't. If he remembered his love for this princess, she didn't want to be a burden to him. No matter how much she loved him. "I'm really glad that we became friends. It's so much better than the incessant quarrelling." She didn't look at him because, even without her sight, she could see his emotions all too clearly. "I'm glad you're helping the scouts too. It has taken a load off us." She congratulated herself on not breaking down. "When this is all done, I'll be glad that I found a new friend in you. Thanks for being there for me." She hugged him quickly and stood up, making her way back to the balcony.

"Wait." He said and held her wrist. "Is that all you came to say?"

"Yes."

"Look at me and tell me that's all you came to say to me."

"Look at you? Look at you?" she sobbed. "I can't see, Darien. I can't see. How can I look at you?" He turned her around sharply and forced her chin up. He held her tearful gaze.

"Don't do this, Serena." He said.

"Do what?" she said grateful her voice was steady.

"Don't pretend like this didn't mean anything. Don't pretend that all this was-was friendship."

"It is only friendship, Darien. Only friendship. You and I-well-there was never a 'you and I'."

"But-"

"We both know that when we find this princess, you'll-you'll forget about this whole interlude."

"I don't want the damn princess! I want-" she slapped a hand over his mouth. She didn't want to hear it. She couldn't bear it.

"I'll see you around, Shields." The deliberate use of his last name finalized it for her and cut him deeper than any knife could. She made her escape then. "Goodbye, Darien." She whispered to herself. "I'll always love you." She cried silently. When she got home, sleep didn't come soon enough for her.

Queen Beryl was furious. Nephrite had disappeared and with a sizeable amount of energy too. She almost smashed her viewing ball. "Zoicite!"

"Yes, my liege." The strawberry blonde woman took a knee before the increasingly ugly mage though it pained her.

"I trust you'll not fail me as Jadeite and Nephrite did."

"No, my liege." She said. She swallowed the growl that bubbled to her throat. She was close. She was close to breaking the hold the darkness had over her. Sometimes she wished it would just consume her. Her former life was lost to her in this body. Once she broke the chokehold of Beryl, she would die at her own hands. She was not worthy enough to even die in battle. A coward's death was her fate. She transported herself to the human realm and breathed the air. Beryl's lair was so permeated with evil the very air poisoned you. A few weeks here would give her the strength she needed to defeat the evil that choked her. But for now, she needed to do the bidding of the evil Queen.

"This one is tough." Mina said. "She is cool and calculated. She never shows herself until she is sure she has what she wants without a fight." The others nodded. Darien was silent. He'd manage to lock away two of his generals. He would get the others. But first he had to help the girls get rid of this one. She was hindering the process.

"Any suggestions, Amy?" Lita asked.

"So far, she has taken two of the crystals. We'll need to lay a trap with the three we have or find the other carrier before she does."

"Any leads?" they asked Rei.

"Yeah. I picked up traces of the crystals power around the arcade. We need to keep a constant eye there. If Ami could be there to scan the customers, it would really speed things up."

"I can do it." Serena said.

"What do you mean?" Mina asked.

"I've been practicing and I think I can pick up the difference between a carrier and a regular person."

"We'll keep Ami there just in case it doesn't work out." Darien said. "We can't take the chance of this woman getting the crystal before us." Serena knew he didn't mean to doubt her but it hurt nonetheless.

"Okay. We have a plan then." The meeting was dismissed and Serena slipped out before anyone could stop her.

She made her way over to the park and breathed the air. "My life really sucks." She said. "I better make sure I have a job. I might not be one of them for much longer after that. I might have to move." _I couldn't be around him and the princess for the rest of my life._ "If I survive." She said.

It took a week for them to spot the carrier - all credit due to Serena. Ami hadn't been there. And it took ten seconds for the woman to show up. Serena guarded the unconscious young man while the others fought the youma and the woman. When the youma was dead, they battled the woman futilely. Before long, even Tuxedo Mask could barely stand.

"Stay away from them!" she said drawing attention to herself.

"And what is the blind brat going to do? You can't even see me. How are you going to protect them, much less yourself?" Serena had been quietly gathering water around her to use as a shield. The woman headed towards her, dark energy swirling around her arm. As soon as her arm encountered the invisible barrier, Serena sent electricity coursing through the water molecules. The woman screamed in pain before falling to her knees.

"How did you-"

"Do you want to live?" Serena asked her.

"No. Let me die."

"Why?" she gasped when she saw the steel tipped rose head for the kneeling woman. "No!" Serena stomped on the ground and a huge chunk of earth came up and collected the accurate dart.

"Sailor Moon-" Tuxedo Mask and the other scouts were confused.

Serena walked to the gasping woman. She was not wounded unto death. She could still fight. Why was she asking to die? She could have easily dodged the rose, but she didn't. She knelt before her and hugged her. The stunned woman struggled but couldn't get free. "Let me go, Sailor Brat!"

"No more. You can't die too. No more." Light enveloped them both and then they were gone.

The next scout meeting was silent. They had extracted the jewel from the young man and then they had taken him to the hospital to recover. They had four and Beryl had two. Only one was left. They needed to work fast and devise a way of getting the two from Beryl.

"What happened?" Lita asked. She broke the silence with the foremost thought of everyone.

"I don't know." Mina said.

"Why would Serena run off with the enemy?" Rei asked. Thinking back to her willingness to stay with Jadeite she added. "Do you think Serena and Zoicite-"

"No." Darien said before she could finish. "Absolutely not."

"But-"

"Other than the very idea is ludicrous and sick, she is obviously inclined to men." He said and they all nodded. "Maybe she's helping Zoicite. She was a general."

"True and yet I don't exactly recall Prince Darien having any female generals." Mina said. "What do you think, Luna?"

"The name rings true but I don't recall a female general either." Luna replied. She was obviously worried about Serena. "Do you think she's turned against us?"

"Impossible." Lita said. "Serena has the purest heart I've ever seen. There is no way she could be corrupted by Beryl."

"So what do we do now?" Mina asked.

"We continue to search for the remaining crystal. We treat Serena as an enemy. We won't attack her unless she attacks first."

"And how do we win if she does attack?" Mina asked. "She is so much more powerful than we ever realized. She can use our own attack against us. She doesn't need to be looking at us to attack us. And with Zoicite to back her – we don't stand a chance."

"I will run interference with Serena." Darien said. "You just concentrate on getting the crystal." He said.

Ami's computer suddenly beeped. "Youma at the university." She typed something. "The Chemistry lab."

"Let's go." Rei said.

Serena and Zoicite were already there. The scouts glanced warily at her but moved towards the cowering young man nonetheless. "Mercury," Lita whispered. "It's Greg." Mercury looked up in surprise. Greg was her childhood friend and was visiting her for a few days.

"We have to save him." She said.

"And we will." Mina said. She sent out a love chain towards the young man and pulled. Sailor Moon stopped the action. "No!" Mina yelled. The youma proceeded to attack them and they watched helplessly as Zoicite extracted the crystal. Sailor Moon carefully laid Greg down then with Zoicite, she disappeared. It took hours for the scouts to destroy the youma and then rush Greg to the hospital.

She didn't hurt him, they realized. Ami held his hand while the machines beeped – a reminder that he was fine. "I don't know why you all insist on my being here." He smiled at Ami.

"You were attacked." She said. "We just want to make sure you're fine."

"I feel fine. A little tired but fine."

"Then you should get some sleep." She brushed at his hair.

"I didn't picture being in the hospital when I came to visit." He smiled. "I wanted to take you on a picnic and – and other stuff."

"We can do that when you get out." She said a blush gracing her cheeks.

"Okay. I'm going to sleep now. The sooner I rest, the sooner I can get out of here." He sighed and closed his eyes. Ami retrieved her hand and left.

"He's in much better shape than the others." Ami said.

"She looked like she was taking care to reduce the stress on his body." Lita said chewing on her thumb.

"But she prevented us from getting the crystal ourselves." Rei said. "We have to treat her as a threat." They all nodded. "Ami, start looking for the last crystal. The Silver Crystal."

"I've narrowed it down to the docks. With so many people running around there, it will be difficult to scan them all." She said. "But, I have a few days off from school."

"We need to find a way to get the three crystals from Zoicite." Mina said.

"That will have to be secondary until we get the last crystal. Once we get it, they'll have no choice but to come to us for the remainders." Rei said.

"I need to get home." Ami said. "My parents will be worried."

"I'll walk you home." Lita said.

"We'll meet at my place in two days." Rei said as she and Mina walked off. They all waved to Darien who sunk into a seat outside Greg's room.

"Great. Now I have two women to find." He murmured and tried to hold off the headache he felt coming on.


	6. Chapter 6

In the Dark Chapter 6

"Why do I insist on sending inferior subjects to do my bidding?" Beryl yelled. She pulled a random minion from the court and incinerated it. Her rage continued for a few hours. When she did finally stop, she summoned Malachite. He was most loyal to her. He'd been the hardest to convert. His mind was strong.

"Malachite."

"Yes, my queen." He didn't bow. He faced her and looked her straight in the eye. She remembered he was also the most insufferable.

"Your former friends have betrayed us. I want you to seek them out and kill them. Retrieve the crystals. Then, you shall share my power."

"As you wish, Queen Beryl." He said then vanished from her presence.

She knew that if he betrayed her, she would have a hard time winning should the puny moon princess be found. She needed to make plans for such a thing. She could no longer bank on anybody's loyalty. Except the youma of course. They were her creations and were bound to her essence. Time was running out. She must conquer this time around. She already knew what would happen if she lost. She would be obliterated from existence. No more coming back for her. She couldn't allow it.

_Wake up, my prince…_

_**What?**_

_Wake up. It is almost time. You must find me._

_**I haven't found the crystal.**_

_It is almost time…_

That was different. He wiped the sweat out of his eyes and got up to take a shower. These dreams were cutting into his sleep time. The water was warm and soothing against his tense muscles. It dimmed the headache he couldn't get rid of. He allowed the pounding of the water to wash away as much stress as possible then turned it off.

Walking back to his room, he expected to sleep. He wouldn't bother getting dressed. He, however, didn't expect to see Serena sitting nonchalantly on his bed. He didn't dare speak. He was already questioning his sanity as it was.

"Now there is something you don't see everyday." She said her eyes traveling down his body. He was thankful for the towel that hid the rest. "You don't get much sleep, do you?" he couldn't answer. Serena was in his bedroom and he was more or less naked. Concentrating on controlling his impulses was taking all he had. She smiled knowingly. She held up her hand and in them, she held the three crystals they needed. "I came to give you these. You need them more than I." He didn't move. She sighed walked to him, took his hand and placed the crystals in them. "I swear, you get more immature as you get older." She stepped back.

She waved her hand and Zoicite appeared stretched out on his bed. "I've done all I can for Zoicite. You need to hide her, like you did the others. Beryl has already dispatched Malachite and he is coming to kill them and retrieve the crystals. I don't stand a chance against him so I give these to you and the scouts. Give yours to Rei. They are no longer safe with you."

"Why not?"

"She's coming for you. We can't chance them getting into her hands. Give them to Rei tonight. Tell her to have Luna and Artemis hide them."

"And what about you?"

"I can't come back. It's pointless and you know it."

"But-"

"I'll watch out for you guys from a far but I can't fight with you anymore. Don't try to get me back either."

"Serena-"

"We had a short time and while I was sad during that time, I was glad I got to know you better. I just wish I could see you with my eyes one last time." She said then sighed. He felt stupid now for his earlier reaction. Of course Serena couldn't see him. "Thank you." She said pulling him back to the conversation. "She'll make you happy. You love her. Don't worry." Then she was gone.

He went to Rei's immediately and told her what Serena said. "Geez, you could have put on some clothes, Darien." Rei complained.

"Get over it, Rei. She said I was next on Beryl's list. I couldn't chance it." He said accepting the shirt and pants she offered him.

"Then you can't help us anymore. We'll fight by ourselves from now on."

"No. Beryl knows who I am. Hiding is not an option. I'll go down fighting." Rei looked at him then nodded.

"Have you heard from Jed?" she asked when he would have left.

"No. But he's not hurt. Don't worry about him. The best we can do is hide him until we defeat Beryl."

"So you do know where he is."

"I put him there."

"Then how is he safe if Beryl kidnaps and brainwashes you?" Darien looked thoughtful.

"She won't be able to use me to find him unless she knows I hid him. And nobody but you and I know that. I gotta go. I have an early class." Rei wasn't so sure but she didn't comment. She couldn't exactly force him to tell her where to find Jed. They might not be on the moon anymore but he was the prince and she was subject to him.

"Okay." She said.

Serena returned to school the next day. Ami was surprised to see her. But Ami was never one for excitement. Mina however…

"Sere! I'm so glad to see you." She squeezed the poor girl. "I have missed you so much. If you ever try to run off like that again, I'll break your legs." Serena chuckled nervously.

"Mina, you're cutting off my air."

"Huh? Oh- sorry." She released her than smiled again. "How are you?"

"I'm doing okay. I've come to grips with my life and where it seems to be heading." She said. "How about we grab lunch?"

"Okay."

After a few bites of her sandwich, Mina asked. "So, why'd you go, Sere?"

"I needed to deal with what Luna told me. I was a stand in for the princess. Now that you've got all but one of the rainbow crystals, I'm definitely not needed anymore."

"But that's so not true. You're like the most powerful one out of all of us – even if you're too blind to see how much we miss and love you."

"Ha ha. Using my disability against me."

"Disability my ass." Mina muttered then laughed at the evil glare Serena sent at her. "So seriously, are you coming back?"

"Not to the scouts. But I'll be around." She sighed. "Definitely not the arcade."

"Because of Darien?" Mina snorted. "I swear you two don't have a lick of sense."

"Mina, you know the situation. Eventually, he has to marry her and my future is unknown. I love him and that's why I'm not going be a hindrance to him. Or her. And because I love myself, I'm not gonna try to hang on to someone who will undoubtedly love someone else."

"Okay."

"I mean, if thought I had a chance, I'd-I'd go for it."

"So what now?"

"You continue under Rei's leadership. You find the princess and live happily ever after once you get rid of Beryl."

"And where will you be?"

"If I am alive after all this, you'll see me around." Mina looked at her watch.

"Dammit. I have to go. My mom is sending someone from England with something for me. And wouldn't you know the man has never been here before. I'll see you later, Sere?"

"Count on it."

Malachite wondered how long this would take. She wasn't the brightest of the group. She should be easy to snatch. Then he'd get the prince.

"You can come out now." The voice startled him. It brought back to memory that she was the only one who could sneak up on him. "You didn't think I'd notice, did you?"

"I may have underestimated you, Aphrodite." He said and revealed himself to her.

"The name is Mina. And why did you feel it was necessary to try and draw me out? Getting my mother involved was never your style."

"Allegiance to a parasite has deluded my thinking it seems."

"And yet here we are." She took a seat and sized him up.

"You do not fear for your safety? You think me incapable of hurting you?"

She calmly watched his face. It was a face from a distant and different life. But she knew it. Those wolf-like eyes were her weakness then. And it seemed that hadn't changed. The intensity was enough to bring colour to her cheeks. Which he didn't miss. "You were never able to, Malachite. Even on the moon. Even in battle. Even brainwashed as you are. My death – though by your sword – was a complete accident. You never intended to kill me. You intended to take me with you. So…is that your goal now?"

"It seems I really did underestimate you. Then and now." His Venus. She was the same – no that wasn't right. There was now a lightness about her that was more prominent than before.

"My intelligence was never in question. You were just too arrogant to admit your feelings for me. So do you intend to betray yet another queen? Am I to be the queen seated at your side at the end? And do you intend to accomplish this by force or by love?" He frowned at her.

"You know far too much of my plans." He took a step to her.

"A warning, lover, if you hurt any of my friends, your death will not be accidental." She stood and instead of backing away, she stepped towards him. There actions were both threats yet an unconscious desire to decrease physical distance. "In the meantime, while you battle over your love or lack thereof for me, think about your best friend. The Prince. Will you look him the face and betray him once more? Will you rob him again?"

"My mind is far from redemption. I cannot be saved by him and so he is a threat to me."

"Your salvation is a choice. Do not attempt to contact me again until you have decided what you want." She closed the distance and cupped his cheek. She felt the clenching of his teeth, the vibration of his tense body and his mental war.

"I know what I want." He insisted. She was too brave, his woman. She tested his control. Always had…maybe she always would.

"Do you? Be wise about this. I will not rule at your side if your kingdom is of Beryl. Remember that." Her eyes were sorrowful as she saw the instinctual anger in his.

"Then you have lost the love we share." He stepped back but she counteracted the action by throwing her arms around his neck, holding her to him without force.

"You are mistaken. I have not lost it. It burns in me. But I will not let it consume my moral responsibilities. We will destroy Beryl and if you choose not to be saved, you will die with her. Goodbye." She pulled back but he held her to him. He knew her. She would do no less than fight. He expected nothing less from her.

"Venus." He murmured. Then let her return to the princess.

"Something's up with Mina." Lita whispered. Rei and Ami looked at her waiting. "Don't you guys notice it? She's moody and downright irritable. And she has this-this thoughtful expression on her face all the time."

"Are you being serious?" Rei snorted.

"Rei, she's not behaving like Mina. She's hiding something."

"That's because I am." Mina said sliding into the booth making the three girls jump. "I just didn't know how to tell you guys."

"Jeez, are you secretly training to be a ninja?" Rei said holding her pounding heart.

"I spoke to Malachite."

"WHAT?" The three girls yelled in unison. The only sounds in the stunned silence were the game sounds.

"Mina!" Lita said angrily.

"I had to go alone. If anyone of you had come with me, he would have attacked us. We're not strong enough to fight him. He wouldn't attack me."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do. Even brainwashed, he's still the same Malachite. He wasn't able to kill me when Queen Serenity was alive. And he can't do it now. He's still in love with me. And unfortunately I remember enough of that time of my life to remember the feelings I have for him. Which means I am a liability to the scouts. Because I can't kill him either."

"Why not?"

"I bound him to me back then. It wasn't intentional. It just happened. If he dies, I die. If I kill him, I doom myself to a kind of stasis where I can see, feel, hear and smell but I can't move or speak. Forever unchanged. If he kills me, Venus will implode, and a black hole will suck in the entire universe. Without love, this universe cannot exist."

"Holy crap." Rei whispered. "What the hell do we do with that?"

"Only Darien can stop him. And Serena."

"But she isn't helping us anymore." Ami said. Mina was about to say more when Serena rushed into the arcade. She stumbled and a patron helped her over to the booth.

"He's gone. She has him."

"Who is gone? Who has him?"

"Beryl has Darien."

"How do you know?" Rei said holding the girl's hands.

"I felt it. I felt him leaving. Now he's in pain. So much pain." She said shivering. "Oh, god." She whimpered.

"What do we do?" Lita asked.

"Malachite." Mina said. "I can bargain with him-"

"It's too late for that. Beryl used Malachite to trap him but not before Darien got him out of the way."

"Do you mean he killed him?"

"N-no. I don't think so. He's still alive. Somewhere. But Darien is-oh no-" Serena blinked rapidly, her mouth moved quickly mumbling words nobody could understand.

"Serena." Mina shook her.

"Don't believe her. She's lying. Stay with me. Don't. Don't give up. N-no. No. No." She whispered fervently then slumped into a dead faint.

"This doesn't seem good." Ami said. She was typing away at her mini-computer. "Something's draining her energy. Wait. No. She's giving her energy away. We have to stop her. Or she'll die here. Right now."

At the shrine, Ami's mother hooked Serena up to a drip. "I assume this is related to what happened to her a few months ago." She stated.

"Mother, please don't ask too many questions."

"I can't treat her if I don't have the full story." Dr. Mizuno insisted.

"Tell her Ami. She might be able to help." Mina said. Ami hesitated only a second before giving her mother a full rundown.

"We'll discuss this later." Her mother warned. "If she's transferring her life energy, we need to disrupt her brain waves. If we can do it for a few seconds, I can put her into a temporary coma. By the time she wakes up, she'll have recovered a little but not enough to initiate anymore energy transferal."

"It's worth a shot." Rei said.

"I'm tuned into her wave patterns now. We only have a small window of opportunity. She's stubborn and really strong." Dr. Mizuno nodded and inserted the needle.

"I'm ready." Ami hit a few buttons then gave the signal. Serena stiffened as Dr. Mizuno pumped her full of the sedative. There was a silent anticipation as Serena settled down into a deep sleep. They sighed in relief.

"We need to come up with a plan to save Darien. I suspect he was the one that got her energy. If so, then he'll be more powerful than we know." Rei said

"Ami?" Ami looked up at her mother's voice. "I expect you home at a reasonable hour. I'll hold off talking to your father until we've talked." Then she left.

Serena woke up groggy and disoriented. "Darien."

"Save your strength you idiot." Rei said. "You'll need it for the beating I'm going to give you. Scout or no, as long as you wield a planetary power, you answer to me."

"Rei-"

"Shut up."

"Rei, we have to get the generals. Beryl knows their location."

"Darien said-"

"He didn't count on being captured when he was in the process of hiding Malachite. Because of that, their location wasn't buried deep in his mind."

"Where?"

"I don't know. I have to lead you there."

"You're not strong enough."

"We don't have any time. Beryl is already on her way there."

"Then-"

"There is still time. She can't open it. That was one thing Darien managed to bury in his mind. But I know how. Call the others."

"I can't. Ami-" before Rei could complete her sentence, Serena grabbed her hand and light surrounded her. She shut it out, the light was too blinding. When she opened them, they were standing in a cave. It was completely dark. She could hear water somewhere. She looked around and saw the girls were also there.

"Where are we?" Lita asked. Rei started to answer but Serena was suddenly moving. Her hand moved rapidly. Water shot out then lightning charged the air. The girls gasped. "What is she doing?" Light mixed with fire between her palms then spread out to mix with the water and lightning.

"Serena! Stop!" The elements receded inwards into her hands the slammed them into the ground. The cave lit up like a Christmas tree seconds before it started shaking like mad. "We're dead." Mina whimpered. A wall shattered like glass a before them, the four generals were revealed.

"MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!" Serena yelled. Light enshrouded the generals Serena sank to her knees. "It's done."

"What's done?" Lita said. "They're gone." Serena waved her hand again. It was more a graceful fluttering but the effect was the same. The generals were revealed in their former glory, their heads bowed in respect to the senshi.

"Princess Serenity." There was a deafening silence at Malachite's address.

"Where?" Lita said looking around. Malachite stood up and helped Serena stand then kissed the back of her hand.

"We owe you our lives. And our loyalty."

"You must be mistaken." Rei said.

"No mistake." Nephrite said. "We must leave this place now. I can feel him coming near. And she is in his wake. We must protect the princess at all cost." Serena was too stunned to move. Or speak. So the others acted. In a split second, Rei had them back at her shrine.

Serena slipped into a fitful sleep. The girls skirted around the men cautiously. Zoicite sat in a corner, her head bowed, her face sorrowful. Rei felt a large amount of depression from her. It was a burden to her. So she pulled Jadeite from the room.

"What's her problem?" She got out just before he pushed into a wall and claimed her mouth. She mumbled in protest as she tried to push her off. He wasn't pleased. He pulled her up until her face was level with his, her feet dangling an inch above the ground.

"Rei." He growled. She inhaled as she absorbed the effect that Serena's actions had had on him. He looked healthier, stronger. Refreshed. His blonde hair was more striking and his eyes a purer green that had her heart tripping embarrassingly. She frowned at him.

"Put me down, you idiot." She tried to push him away but he only leaned closer and nipped at her jaw.

"Do not punish me, Princess." He whispered into her ear. "I have suffered long these years, waiting for you to grow, waiting for the twisted darkness to send me to you." He bit her ear then soothed it. He pulled back so he face her, his hold on her tightening.

"I can't deal with this now." She snapped.

"But I'm answering your question. About Zoicite." He smiled devilishly then claimed her lips again. It was hot. There was no other word for the strange melting effect it had on her mind and body. She knew when he groaned at the fisting of her hands in his hair, it was in pain. She didn't like that she was sinking into a euphoric state when her cousin was with the enemy, her friend was unconscious and-and-what the hell had she been thinking about? "I've missed you, Rei." She sighed at his words.

"Jed-"

"Do not hide your feelings from me, Rei, I have been too long without it." His hold gentled and he allowed her to stand on her own feet.

"I should punish you for kidnapping me and messing with my memories."

"I can never make that up to you." He started to sink to his knee and she prohibited the humble descent.

"Tell me about Zoicite. Why is she so sad?"

"Like me she has been without her heart these longs years. But unlike me, she sees no hope of reclaiming those affections."

"Why? Serena healed the darkness. I know."

"Yes. But she remains in a body that was not hers." When Rei frowned, he sighed. He could feel Zoicite snarling at the discussion of her affairs. "Beryl did more than brainwash Zoicite. She turned Zoicite into a woman." Rei gasped.

"Zoicite was a man?"

"Is. He has the memories, emotions and physical feelings of his former life. But it wars with the physical appearance he has now."

"Can't we do something?"

"I'm sure there is. But he would not want his love to know. His last act before the darkness had consumed him was to shield her from the emotions they shared. While the rest will remember their loves, she will never remember unless he comes forward and asks for her help."

"Who is she?" Even as Rei asked the question, her mind gave her the answer. "Ami?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

They didn't know she had been listening. Of course, no body knew she was a telepath. With superior hearing. She heard their passionate words and smiled. She walked home swiftly, the weight of their words tugging at her soul. She realized that whatever Zoicite had done to her memory, only he could reverse it. She bit her lip. She could reverse what Beryl did to him. She had seen it done on Mercury. But she didn't know if Zoicite wanted to be turned back. What Jadeite didn't know was that the General battled with more that former feelings for her. The warped circumstances had foisted on the despairing soldier feelings for Malachite. Unrequited. She opened the door to her house; her mother was seated on the bottom stair. There were tear streaks on her face.

"Mom."

"I don't know what this means, Ami. Are you still my daughter?"

Ami had wondered the same thing when her memory returned. A secret DNA test had assuaged her fear. "Genetically, yes. And in every way that counts." Ami said kneeling before her. "Even if we did not share DNA, you would be my mother. You gave birth to me. You raised me. You love me. And I love you."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to. But it wasn't my secret alone. I had to protect the others and in a way, you. Our enemies do not hesitate to use those close to us to force our compliance. I could not chance them knowing about you or Dad."

"Am I the only parent that knows?"

"I don't know."

"What do I do now? Can I tell your father?"

"You can tell dad. As for what you do now? You continue to be my mother." Dr. Mizuno smiled at her daughter. Such an intelligent and mature young woman. Mercurian or not, she claimed credit.

Malachite waited at Serena's side. When she opened her eyes, she smiled at him. "Hello, wolfman." She teased.

"You remember?"

"Not all. I remember you. Unfortunately, I do not know where to find the Imperium Silver Crystal."

"Do not worry much about it. Now that we have all the seven pieces safely away from Beryl, we need to concentrate on getting back the prince."

"Darien." She sighed. "He doesn't know I'm the princess."

"He always liked to live in denial." Malachite said sighing. "No doubt his subconscious sought you out. And knowing you, you replied in the best way you could."

"I think daily life clouded a true reunion. We don't much like each other in this time. The attraction is there." She said unembarrassed by the admissions.

"I suspect that is frustration on both your parts."

"What? Unable to express the love so we pick at each other?"

"It is a logical explanation." He said. "How will you save him?"

"My powers work on those who want to be saved. He knows he has to find the princess but he doesn't want to."

"Why not? That is too ridiculous to believe." Serena sighed and explained what had been happening.

"SO, you see, he saw us as two separate people. What he feels for me competes with what this unknown love for another woman."

"So he desires you – the present you – more than the past."

"A boost to my ego." Serena smiled.

Ami found Zoicite in the park. He – for she thought of him as a man – was staring at a spot in the large clearing. She knew what it was. It was the place she had almost died at his hand.

"You shouldn't be too hard on yourself." She said.

"Princess." He said not turning around. "I guess you overheard Jadeite's and Rei's conversation."

"What do you want me to do?" she asked softly. "I can reverse the spell. But do you want me to?" He looked at her angrily. Then sighed. She didn't remember what they shared. It stood to reason she wouldn't know of his desires.

"I wish to die. I do not wish to live out my life past the coming battle."

"And do you intend to do this yourself? Or will you ask the princess? The prince? Me? None of us will do it."

"Malachite will grant my request."

"Will you tell him the real reason for your wish? Will you tell him it is not the thought of living as a woman? Will you tell him it is not the thought of being without me? Will you tell him it's because of the feelings you have for him?" he glared at her and found her glaring at him. It was not often that she was angry. But when she was, it was as intense as the ire of the Fire Priestess.

"Ami-" she shoved him and she stumbled back in shock. Mercury had always been in control. She never reacted like this to anything before.

"You bastard. You stupid bastard. Do you think wiping my memories would prevent the hurt? I can read your thoughts. Your feelings. And it hurts to know that you would prefer to die for your feelings for Malachite than live for something we shared." Her tears froze in the sunlight – a testament to the ferocity of her emotions and her power.

"Ami-"

"You have so little faith in me, Zoicite." She raised her hand as if to strike him. Too late he realized her intention.

"Frozen waters, swirling mist to my aid come hither." The rest of her ritual was said rapidly in the old language of the Mercurian. Like before, the change was painful. But this time, he did not scream. Muscles contracted, relaxed then tore as they shifted to reform his former physique. Bones stretched, fire ripped through him at the feeling. She gasped, obviously reading his thoughts and feelings. He wanted to shield her. She stopped the process even as he thought it. He heard his clothes tear as they strained against his larger build. Then it was over. Cool water caressed his skin then it was gone. He flexed his fingers. They held the strength he missed. They were large and suited to his mind frame. He heard a sob and realized Ami had picked something else from his head.

"Ami don't-"

"They are my memories. You had no right. No right." And because she could, she slapped him. He took it, no retaliation in his eyes. She fisted her hand and punched him in the eye. He took it. But there was anger in his eyes this time. She prepared up to hit him again but he shackled her wrist.

"Stop this." He said softly.

"Undo that which was done to me, General." She didn't look at him. He squeezed her wrists but she could feel the reversal. The memories started as a trickle. She sobbed. Then they flooded her and she slumped against him, the onslaught too much for her brain to coordinate her physical functions. When her ears stopped ringing, and her eyes stopped burning, she pushed away from him. She didn't look at him. How could she? She knew now. But it didn't make it any easier. One last drop of memory came to her and she stiffened. He didn't know. She couldn't help the instinctual reaction as her hands folded thoughtfully over her flat stomach. Her womb was empty now. But she remembered what it was to feel the little fluttering that came from a babe turning with in her. She sobbed. Their child had not lived. She had miscarried when she heard the news of his defection. She had followed the unborn infant into the darkness the next day by the hand of its father.

"Ami-"

"Don't. It is done. We have nothing else to say to each other expect in an official capacity. You are returned to your former self, I have my memories." He let her go. He could do nothing else. He could never be sure of his feelings anymore. He'd been too long under Beryl's rule. He looked at the ground where had stood. He saw the glint. A frozen tear. Hers. Carefully, he picked it up and conjured a container to maintain it. He hung the pendant around his neck on the very necklace she'd given him. Inside the locket, another frozen tear rested. One tear of happiness and the other of sorrow.

"My Prince." Beryl cooed as she ran a hand through the hair of his bent head.

"My queen." He took her hand and kissed it.

"I require the blood of the princess at your hand, Prince Darien."

"And you shall have it, my love."

She had her walking stick tapping to keep up the appearance. She was supposed to still be blind. Physically, anyway. Her powers enabled her to see. But it was like looking through a broken lens. School had been long and torturous. It was hard to keep a happy face when Darien was away from her – trapped by Beryl's evil schemes. She blinked to clear the tears that gathered in her eyes. It was long enough to break her concentration and have her plow into a stable body. The scent that enveloped her as she bounced and to the ground had her dizzy.

"Meatball head, you should really look where you're going." She couldn't have stopped herself if she tried. She scrambled up and threw her arms around him. She used the momentum to carry her lips to his. She felt him stiffen in response but she needed this. She needed to feel close to him.

"Darien." She murmured. She brushed her lips once more and it propelled him into action.

"Jeez, what are you trying to do? Get me arrested?" he pushed her back and she gasped at the force. His hands clamped down on her upper arms in a contradiction to his pushing her away.

"Darien, you're back. Are you okay?"

"Have you lost it? Why would you kiss me?" he released her and took up her stick. She ignored it as he held it.

"Darien-You don't remember?"

"I remember that I don't like you. And I thought the feeling was returned. Obviously you're just another immature child with fantasies."

She didn't gasp or sob. Her hands didn't come up in surprise or defense against his words. What she did was more troubling. He watched as tears gathered in the blue orbs that seemed to haunt him. They fell silently as they stood on the sidewalk. Then she smiled. Just a little before it fell away from her lips and eyes. It was not what he expected.

"If I have to start from scratch with you, Prince Darien," she said so softly he had to lean a little to hear. "I will. I will fight with you. I will annoy you. I will not give up on you. I will free you from her." He narrowed his eyes and even darker feelings welled up in him toward the blonde beauty before him.

"You call me prince." He stepped closer to her. "Then you are a scout. My enemy." He used a finger to tilt her head up by her chin. Her lips trembled. Her eyes showed hurt before they shut him out. "The next we meet, little girl, I will destroy you. Then I will destroy your princess." Then mockingly he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was not friendly, or loving. It was punishing. Humiliating. She wrenched her mouth away and cringed at the smirk. He walked away.

She was sliding to the pavement when arms slipped around her to hold her up. The static charge indicated her aid. "Lita."

"Was that Darien?"

"Yes. And No."

"He just kissed you." Lita said.

"He's not on our side. She has him. I just don't know how deeply."

Since meeting Darien, the scouts had met to decide a course of action. It was decided they would protect Serena at all costs but hold of on harming him otherwise. They had yet to meet him in battle. But Serena met him regularly in the Crown Arcade where she was teased relentlessly by him. Unlike before, the barbs hurt more. Now they were laced with a malicious intent that even Andrew noticed. Others didn't. It didn't help that he found her crying in the bathroom once. He'd chewed Darien out. That day, he waited for her outside her house. He spirited her away. She still remembered his heated, taunting words.

"Silly, twit. Did you go complaining to Andrew? If you want to keep him alive, you'll leave him out of this." He warned. "I don't want to hurt him, unnecessarily." She didn't respond. He smiled. "Do you only respond when I kiss you, scout?" she stiffened. He had kissed her again. And each time, she had succumbed to his advances. "No shame. Consorting with the enemy." To humiliate her further, he hitched her legs over his. The effect was mortifying. It would have been so easy to just hate him.

"Darien, don't." She'd pleaded and he'd thrown his head back and laughed darkly.

"How are you even a scout? You're so weak." Her mind managed to respond then. And it stunned him.

"I'm weak?" she said in a quiet, breathless voice. "You seem to take great pleasure in using my feelings for you against me. Do you feel compelled to remind me of my own feelings? Or are you trying to mar those that you feel for me, Dark Knight? Beryl couldn't taint that, could she? You want me. And you don't know why. When we meet in battle, you'll need to make a choice, Dark Knight." She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him gently before pushing him away. She made her escape.

Now, she faced him. Or rather the minion. He stood to the side. She dodged as best she could but his eyes on her were distracting. She knew what he must have figured out. Or remembered. It didn't matter. She saw her opening just as Mars yelled the action. The monster exploded into tiny pieces that became dust in the wind. But it wasn't over. Tuxedo Mask summoned another one, a stronger one. He plowed through the girls and headed for her.

"No!" Mars yelled. Just before the monster could kill Sailor Moon, Malachite appeared before her. Monster was repelled with a swift swipe of his arm.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes." Before she could say her thanks, he was flung away from her by invisible hands. He was pinned to a tree by the same invisible force. Tuxedo Mask walked to her.

"Leave him alone." She said.

"Should I stand by while my own general tries to steal my-" he frowned at her, the words dying on his lips.

"Your?" she prompted.

"I-" he grabbed her and jumped out the way just as the monster swiped at them. He threw a rose and the monster yelled in fury. "Destroy it, Sailor Moon." He said. He set her down, his arms falling away as the pulled the tiara away from her forehead and flung it at the youma. He gathered her up as soon as the youma disintegrated. The scouts circled him in apprehension.

"Let her go." Mars yelled at him.

"I should kill her now." He said and frowned as if the notion left a bad taste in his mouth. "But there will be other times." He released her and disappeared in one fluid motion. Serena didn't even try to hide her sorrow. She fell apart in front of her scouts. She was given a sedative to allow her some rest that night.

She could feel the buildup. There were too many attacks to count now. Beryl would show her face soon because of her impatience with Darien. He hadn't killed her but saved. All the time. After each battle, he would seek her out and take out his frustration on her. The last time had been even more humiliating that the first because Mina had walked in on them. If she hadn't, Serena would not have been able to live with herself. He'd invaded her home, her room and seduced her mercilessly. Her protests were pushed aside with only a caress, a kiss. She sobbed now at the memory. Something that should have been beautiful was tainted by Beryl's evil. She had blubbered all over Mina when he escaped through the window.

"He's breaking her spirit." Mina said angrily. "If I hadn't sensed her distress-" she fisted her hands and hit a wall. Or she would have it Malachite hadn't stopped the painful contact.

"Hurting yourself will not help." He said.

"She never told any of us that he sought her out." Lita said.

"We don't know the extent of the damage." Rei said.

"She buries it deep. I sense her sorrow but she is careful to not let me in." Ami said. She stood and walked into Zoicite who had been standing behind her. She cringed away from him. The action caused the room to go silent. They all saw how awkward things were with the two. "Excuse me." She said politely and stepped around him. "What can we do for her?" she continued.

"We can't do anything but work that much harder to get him back. For her." Lita said.

"Can't you guys do something?" Rei asked heatedly of the generals.

"What could we do that Malachite could not?" Zoicite asked. "We are all strong in our own right. But Malachite is the strongest. And the closest to Darien."

"You two were best friends." Mina said touching Malachite's arm.

He nodded. "Only Serenity can save him."

"You have too much faith in me." She entered the room. "I am blind and I can't find the Crystal. I am a failure and a liability to the team. I have no strength to fight him." Her voice was hollow. Drained. Resigned. Then Ami gasped.

"Serena, no."

"I have no choice. I will draw her out. I will end this one way or the other. Crystal or no." Before they could stop her, she was gone.

"Is she crazy?" Rei fumed. "Did we work so hard and long to find and protect her only to have the ungrateful wretch run off on a suicide mission?" Jadeite laid a hand on her shoulder and she shrugged it off. "Out! All of you. I need to concentrate."

He felt the flare of power. He knew the source. "The princess has revealed herself." He said to Beryl. "But the Crystal is still dormant."

"That matters not. Once I have it, I can access its power."

"You cannot. You must be of her line." He said. Beryl jerked at the information. Anger boiled up in her that so much power was entrusted to such a weakling. She killed her before, she could do it agin.

"Then I shall destroy the power. Her blood, Prince Darien, I require her blood." He looked up.

"She has found your lair, my queen. Let us end this." In an instant, too fast for Beryl to even register, he was flying them to the surface. The ice shifted from his path then exploded out as he soared into the air with her. Her heart thudded against her chest.

"I am not ready to fight her, you fool. You'll destroy us." She whispered.

"She is not in the mind to find. She is here to surrender." He said obviously displeased.

"I will not surrender to Beryl, Dark Knight." Her voice sounded as cold as the ice that surrounded them.

"Where are your scouts? Your protectors?"

"I would not have them hurt. I might not be as strong as you, Beryl, but I will defeat you. For that is my right. I claim the right to avenge the death of my mother, my people, my friends, myself. I claim the right to free my prince." She walked closer and Darien gasped. She wasn't what he had expected. He glared at her. His plans-what would it gain him now if he killed Beryl? Serena was his enemy. She was the damn pirncess.

"Serena." She looked at him, her eyes sorrowful.

"If I cannot save you, I will die by your hand." She said. She raised her arm and Beryl flew away from Darien's side in shock. Serena followed. Her princess clothes turned into her scout uniform as she directed an attack on the dark mage. But a quick victory was not to be. She never expected it. So she fought on. She could feel him watching. He would try to stop her soon.

He watched, unnerved by the battle. Beryl flung dark energy at the small slip of a girl that was his quarry. The girl he'd become attached do even though he knew her to be the enemy. The girl he now recognized as the princess, the one he was charged to kill. The rose was out of his hand before he could stop himself. The steel-like tip sliced her cheek. She didn't wipe the blood away. He flew at her, power building in his hands. He would kill the blue eyes that haunted him. That made him weak. Then he would deal with the weakling, Beryl. So intent on his mark, he didn't see the dark energy that Beryl sent at the girl until it was too late. It hit her. She didn't try to escape. She took into her body, then collapsed. When she went down, the way she went down, triggered something deep, dark and primitive in him.

"What have you done!" He turned on Beryl.

"What you should have done. Now she's out of our hair." They both stiffened when the cold air stopped whipping about them. There was an ominous silence. Unnatural. There was a large spike of energy coming from the broken and bloody body of the princess. She floated before them, light surrounded her. Then it was inside her body. Dark energy exploded out of her and disappeared. In its wake, light. Her eyes opened, her wounds vanished, her gown returned.

"Now, it ends, Beryl." She raised her hand but she paused when suddenly she was surrounded.

"Serena! What the hell!" Simultaneous attacks were launched by the scouts as they drove Beryl back. Darien came towards her.

"Give me the crystal!"

"You do not want her." She said. "She sleeps, shielded from the pain of your rejection, dark knight." Her voice was tired but firm.

"Then I'll take it by force." He grabbed at her, the light invaded him and he cried out on pain. "What is this?" he looked at her troubled face. He saw the tear roll from her eyes then they both felt it.

"I would that you were free, Darien, even if I die in the process."

"The Rainbow crystals! They're glowing." Jupiter exclaimed. "What's she doing?"

"It's the Imperium Silver Crystal." Ami said. "It's reforming."

"Goodbye, my heart. MOON HEALING ESCALATION!" Sound ceased to exist in the explosion of light for a frightening moment. They all stood around witnessing the awesome explosion of power from a source most unexpected. Time ands space seemed to draw to a screeching halt as before them, the darkness was eradicated. Just as suddenly as it started, it ended. Beryl was dead at their feet. Then her body turned to dust and was carried away by the cold winds. Darien was unconscious. And Serena was nowhere to be seen.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"There is still a search on for missing teen Serena Tsukino." A picture of her was shown. "If anyone has seen this young woman, please contact the Juuban Police department at-" He turned off the television.

"They won't ever find her. She's dead." Darien said.

"We don't know that for sure." Zoicite said. _He_ was still alive because he'd been ordered not to harm himself or ask that harm be done to him.

"I don't feel her, Zoi. There is nothing." Darien said emotion causing his voice to crack. "She should have taken me with her."

"What do you think happened, Luna?" Rei asked the cat. "Was the power too much for her?"

"I wish I knew, Rei. It seems so impossible that not a trace of her can be found."

"We've scoured that damn continent and we can't find a single trace that she was even there." Lita said.

"What does this mean for us? For the future?" Mina asked. "Surely, without Serena and the Crystal, the world is doomed. Is there a future with out her?"

"If there is, it is a future unsuited for us." Ami chimed in. "No doubt, news of her absence and possible death with encourage unseemly characters to try and rule this planet. This galaxy."

"Do we even dare hope she is alive?" Rei asked.

"We have to believe she is. And wherever she is, she's trying her hardest to get back to us." Lita said.

"Yeah." Mina looked at her watch. "The men should be back by now. I need to head home, make sure their rooms are made up. Cook dinner."

"I'll come with you. We know you can't cook, Mina." Lita teased.

"Oh, shut up." She said shoving Lita. "I cook fine. Thank you very much."

"Yeah. If you're aim is to poison. Come on."

Left alone, Rei looked at Ami. "Scout business aside, how are you?"

Ami opened her mouth to affirm her rightness then closed it. "It didn't seem so hard when we had something else to occupy our time. When we had Serena to make everything seem better."

"Yeah. And Zoicite?"

"There's nothing to say about him. There is nothing for me wit him. Nothing at all."

"Why is he being like this? Is he stupid? Did Beryl fry a couple of his brain cells?"

"I don't know. But, I can't deal with him now. I have to deal with my memories. All of them. I guess that's all there is to us. History. That's all we seem to be." Rei took her hand and cradled it.

"There is no rule that says you have to be with him. It's just another one of those things we have to deal with. Queen Serenity gave us a second chance at life. Maybe that means finding someone else to love."

"Luna said she figured Mina and I were more discrete than you and Lita."

"I figure neither of us are as subtle as you too." Rei teased and Ami smiled.

"I wish I hadn't been so discrete." She fisted her hand. "Maybe if I felt like I was being watched, I would have stopped one incident from happening back then."

"What was that?"

"I wouldn't have found myself pregnant."

"I'm sorry, what?" Rei said looking at the girl aghast. "Did you say pregnant?"

"I was far enough along to feel movement, Rei. But Mercurians are extremely delicate – much more so than other woman – when pregnant. Miscarriages were common."

"How do you know all this? The rest of us only remember bits and pieces."

"Zoicite sealed my memories. In effect, he bound them to himself. Queen Serenity could not erase that from me."

"You lost the baby?"

"I was just going to tell you guys the news when all hell broke loose. Beryl had turned and the generals had defected. I didn't have time to effect any measures to save her. my baby girl. I just sat there watching helplessly as I bled. I didn't even feel more than a cramp. Virtually painless."

"Oh, Ami." Rei held her.

"I didn't live long enough back then to mourn her. Or him. I was the first to die. But now-" she sobbed unable to hold back the tears. "How do I deal with it now, in this time? It all feels like yesterday to me. I'm only eighteen. How can I deal with is on top of Serena being missing? I don't know what to do, Rei. I just-" she sobbed uncontrollably.

"Ssssh. Just let it out." She absorbed the furious show of emotion, being the friend that they both knew Serena would have been. "Did he know?"

"No." Ami said, her voice roughened from the crying. "And he'll never know because it is the past. My past. Not his."

"Why don't you stay the night? Company will do you good."

"Thanks Rei."

The hospital told her they had found nothing to say who she was. No one knew her. She was not being searched for, it seemed. So she found herself on a plane to Juuban escorted by the kind doctor.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked. His voice was worried. But resigned.

"Dr. Li, it's important. I feel I should be there. It might jog my memory." She ran a hand through her hair. Her condition – being blind – forced her to cut the extra lengths. But the shorter hair felt like sacrilege to her hands.

"Very well. I'm only passing through so I'll leave you in the care of a friend of mine. She'll take good care of you."

"Thank you for being so kind. I'll never be able to repay you."

"Seeing you smile after so long is payment enough." He remembered when they had found her wondering in the cold of the north pole. She was underdressed yet strangely warm. She was crying inconsolable. She cried when she was awake and when she slept. It was heart-wrenching. Then she woke up, a quiet smile on her face. "I'll call regularly to check on you." He said as he walked her through the gate and settled her into the taxi beside him.

"I've set up an apartment for these purposes. My traveling. You can use it. I'll drop you off there so you can get used to the place. I'll bring my friend by."

"Thank you, Dr. Li."

She circled the room, feeling her way. She would soon become familiar with the layout. She found a bedroom, a bathroom with a luxurious bath and a small kitchenette. Not that she would be using it. At least not yet. She unpacked slowly then felt her way back to the living room. The remote for the TV was in the seat where she sat and she smiled appreciatively. She wouldn't need to search for it. She scanned the stations trying to find the classical music station. There was none. She switched it off.

She was dozing off when the doorbell sounded. "Who is it?"

"It's Dr. Li."

"Come in." She called. She heard him insert his key then she listened as he talked to his friend.

"We didn't name her. She refused to answer to any name." He whispered. He didn't know she could hear him. "Just keep an eye on her for me. I don't want anybody to take advantage of her." She got up from the chair and came to meet them. She heard the gasp the woman made.

"Dear heaven-it's her."

"You-you know me?" She said.

"You know her?" Dr. Li said surprised at their luck.

"I-I think so. You're hair is much shorter but-can I see your eyes?"

"Dr. Mizuno-"

"Mizuno? I-that name is familiar." She rubbed her shoulder and Dr. Mizuno followed the movement with her eyes. She had given this young woman an injection there not long ago. She watched as the familiar blue orbs were revealed.

"Serena." She found herself enveloped in warm welcoming arms.

"Dr. Mizuno-" Dr. Li began. His pager beeped. "Sorry. I wish I could stay, sweetheart, but I need to go. Dr. Mizuno will take good care of you. I'll call when I get to Kobe."

"Are you my mother?" she asked cautiously.

"No. But I know her. I am the mother of your very good friend. Ami. Do you remember her?"

"I'm sorry. No. I don't even remember myself. And the name you call me is unfamiliar."

"You don't remember anything?"

"No."

"I suppose you're tired. But-" she paused.

"But?"

"Would you like me to take you to your home? To your family?"

"I-" she smiled. "It's strange. I came here for this very reason. To find why this place called to me. Now that I know, I'm scared."

"We can hold off on meeting your friends, but I think you should go see your mother."

"I guess. Okay. Let's go then."

As she drove away from the apartment complex, she was deeply troubled, as if she was leaving something important behind. She looked back chiding herself for being silly. It took thirty minutes in traffic before they entered the residential area. They stopped at a house. She allowed the doctor to help her from the car then waited for the door to open after she knocked.

"Yes?" she didn't here a gasp. But she felt the shock. The surprise. "Oh my-Serena?" Soft hands touched her face then they were gone. "Serena!" she was being hugged again. "My baby. My baby. I thought I'd never see you again. I searched-but I couldn't find you. My baby."

"Mom-" Serena heard the voice of a little boy. Her brother? "Serena!" hands wrapped around her waist and held. Finally, she was ushered in. The woman – her mother – kept touching her. The boy – Shingo – sat at her feet. She could feel his eyes on her.

"So you can't remember us?"

"I'm sorry. No. But I am happy to know I belong somewhere. What about my father?"

"He's on his way home. I called him."

"Okay. I hope he gets here before I have to go."

"Go? Why are you going? This is your home." She heard the distress in the words.

"I know. But I don't feel right in staying here. Not yet. I won't be far. I'm staying at the Maison Apartment. You can visit anytime. I want to get to know you. And hopefully get my memory back."

"And your sight." Shingo said.

"My sight? I wasn't born like this?" she inclined her head to the little boy.

"You hurt your eyes in a freak accident at the Hikawa shrine. Your friend was also hurt." She frowned. She had a flash of bright light and then her eyes were burning. It wasn't a shrine she saw in the flash but trees. The open sky.

"Oh."

She stayed for two hours then her father drove her back to the apartment. "I'm really glad you're back, sweetie. We've missed you. I wish you were spending the night. Even one night."

"We'll see." She wouldn't commit to it. It was just too weird that she would find her family so quickly. But she felt no deceit with them. Besides, what could they gain from claiming to be the family of a seventeen year old, senior year high school student? The thought of school made her shudder. _I hate school_. She thought. And knew it to be true.

"I need to go to the station to report your return. I'll need the name of the man who found you."

"Dr. Li. He is an anthropologist with the university." The car slowed and she got out.

"I'll carry you up." He was out before she could protest.

"It's number 33." She tried to identify with him. His daughter, missing for two months, was home again. He needed to take care of her.

"33?"

"Yes." She heard him clear his throat but he said nothing. When he settled her into a couch, she spoke again. "This is the number for the apartment. Feel free to call me." She said handing him one of the cards that were on the table. Dr. Li had had them printed for her. Her father touched her head and sighed before he turned and went home.

She slept fitfully, as she always did. She dreamed of shadows and darkness. Blinding light. And pain. The phone woke her. "Hello?"

"Hi, it's me."

"Mom?" she said and she had no idea how good it felt to her mother when she said that. She wondered what time it was. It felt too early to be up. "What time is it?"

"Uh-just after eight. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Great. It's just so early." She whined.

"Memory or no, you still whine about waking up early. I-I wanted to know if it was okay to tell your friends. To give them your address and telephone number."

"I-I guess it couldn't hurt."

"There is something else. One of your friends lives right next to you. In 32."

"She does?"

"Not she. He. From what I knew of your relationship, it might be best if you meet him first."

"Our relationship?" Serena reclined with the phone. "Were we a couple? Was he my boyfriend?"

"I'm not sure." Was the response. "I mean, I had always known about him. You complained tons about him. But after you were in the accident, you two were almost inseparable. Though you seemed pretty annoyed. Then one day, you were just-I don't know-broken. I didn't see him around anymore. I figured you two had a fight."

"So why should I meet him first? If we fought, it might be that we're not speaking."

"And normally, I would agree. But when you disappeared, he was the first one here looking for you. He searched-he searched like he'd lost something really precious."

"Hmmm. Is he cute?" Serena asked trying to alleviate some of the tension the words had caused.

"I wouldn't say cute." Her mother said. There was a crash in the background and her mother sighed. "Look, honey, I'll call your friends. I gotta go get Shingo before he destroys my house."

"Okay. Thank you for calling. I really appreciate it."

"Sure. Of course. I love you." Serena couldn't respond and they both knew it. It was disappointing for both.

She made use of the standing shower, preferring to give the bath a good wash before reclining in it. After blow-drying her hair, she brushed it into submission. She never liked pinning it up once she cut it. It made her remember she had no choice but to cut it. It made her feel naked. She sighed. _It'll grow back._ She repeated over and over. She wondered when she'd be convinced. She ran her hand over the special markings she had on her clothes and chose a short, blue jacket over a white blouse. She fingered the flare skirt – black – and decided it would be nice to wear a skirt instead of the jeans she always wore. Ten minutes later, she was eating cereal in the kitchen trying to decide how to approach her neighbour – who might be her current or ex-boyfriend. It occurred to her that the longer she waited, the more warning he'd get. She wanted to experience his reaction first. She didn't want pretense from this fringe person.

She brushed her hair nervously as she stood outside his apartment. She had run her hands over the door to be sure she was at the right door. She fiddled with her skirt and sighed.

"He might not even be in." She whispered aloud to herself. "Don't be a coward. Just knock." She raised her hand to do just that when the door open. She smelled perfume. Not cologne.

"And who might you be?" The voice was sultry. Obviously a woman. Her heart sank.

"Yumi? What's wrong?"

"There's a girl standing outside your door. She looks confused." There was a taunt in the voice and Serena felt angry. Defensive. "I'll just leave her to you."

"I'll see you at class." Serena surmised the man hadn't looked out yet.

"If you weren't just a child, I'd be worried about you." The woman said patting her cheek. Serena had the urge to hit her. She bit the inside of her cheek instead.

She was ushered inside and the door shut behind her. She heard the low chuckle that the woman gave. She sighed. _I guess this is my ex-boyfriend._

"Uh-hello?" She called out when no one came to greet her.

"I'll be right there." The voice came back. Serena bit her lip. _Great voice._ She thought. She replayed the short conversation with the woman. _So he's an older guy? _A door opened and the hurried feet stopped abruptly. She turned to the sound and waited.

"Uh-you there?" Feeling exposed, she felt for the sofa she had touched earlier. There was no response. But she could taste the tension in the air. "I'm sorry-could you help me out here. I can't exactly-" she was cut off by muttering. She listened as he moved into the room. She heard the phone being used.

"Zoicite? I think I'm loosing it. No. I swear she's standing in my living room. A vision? No. I'm talking to you. Wouldn't that interrupt the vision? She's-okay-okay. Thanks."

She heard the phone being cradled and she waited. "So, you know me?"

"You look a lot like someone I used to know." Was the careful response.

"Was her name Serena?"

"How do you know that?"

"Hmmm. Can we sit? I'm feeling a little light headed all of a sudden." He took her arm and then they both had to step apart. "What was that?" she rubbed her hand. What she felt was electricity coursing through her at his touch. Her heart was beating so hard it hurt. She stepped back and thankfully, the couch caught her when she tripped.

"Serena?" came the cautious voice. It was still a beautiful voice.

"I suppose that's who I am. That's what Dr. Mizuno and the Tsukino's called me last night. Serena. Personally, it rings no be-mmmm-" Hugs she had expected. But the warm, desperate lips that covered hers were a surprise. A good one. Which is how she excused her wayward hands when they circled his neck and held him to her.

The kiss went on for a heated moment. And it would have continued had she not come to her senses. She pushed at him. Their lips separated with a loud smack.

"Uh-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." She said and tried to stand but he was holding her to him. "I don't even know who you are." She said in wonder.

"Serena-what are you talking about?"

"I guess I should have opened with the memory loss." She softly. "I can't remember anything of what is supposed to be my life. Nothing. No one." She said even as her hand came up between them and touched his face. His eyes. His lips. "But this is familiar. This feeling." The hands dropped away from her and she felt bereft.

"I-"

"Don't apologize. I didn't exactly fight you off. Are you gonna tell me you're name?"

"Darien. Darien Shields."

"Are you my boyfriend?"

"Not exactly."

"But-"

"Our relationship is very complicated."

"Is. So there is still something going on between us." She frowned. "Then why was a woman leaving your apartment so early in the morning?" The chuckle that came from him irritated her.

"She's just a classmate. We studied last night. I told her she could use the spare bedroom."

"Are you lying to me?"

"Right now, I'm too stunned that you're here to make up a lie. We searched for weeks. There was no sign of you." He ran a hand through her short hair. "You cut your hair." She heard the consternation.

"It was inconvenient to keep it long-"

"Don't cut it again." He cut her off.

"It's my hair I can-"

"Please." The hand moved from her hair to cup her cheek. She released a shaky breath. She cleared her throat.

"This was a bad idea."

"What?"

"Coming to see you alone." She felt herself leaning into him. "Not smart to show up a guy's apartment, alone."

"No. It wasn't." he kissed her again. This time it was gentle. Searching. "I've missed you so much. Even if we annoyed the hell out of each other. I can't believe you're here."

"Maybe we should step back." She breathed deeply. His presence was devastating to her equilibrium. "I don't remember any of this." The reminder made him go still.

"Right." He slowly released her. "I need to call a meeting."

"Meeting? For what?"

"Your friends. They'll want to see you immediately. To be sure."

"My mother is calling them."

"We'll meet them at the shrine." He said and then he was gone. The phone rang, she supposed, just as he got to it. "Hello? Rei! Rei! Calm down. Yes it's true. No don't come over. I'll bring her to you at the shrine. She doesn't remember anything. Very frustrating. I'll see you there in few minutes."

"Who is Rei? You know a lot of women." She said and wondered why she had even said the words.

"I guess amnesia doesn't erase jealousy."

"I am not jealous." She stood, the action making her head spin. "I don't think I'll be going anywhere with you, after all." She started to feel her way to the door when his arm slipped around her waist. She froze.

"Calm down, princess." The term totally screwed up her resolve to leave. Unlike her name, this sounded familiar. "Can you ride in that skirt?"

"I-" he didn't wait for a response. She puzzled over the term, only returning to the present when she felt the sun on her skin. "Wait-" A helmet – she assumed it was a helmet – was slipped unto her head. "Darien-" he took her hand and settled her unto the back of the seat after seating himself.

"Hold on to me." She didn't need him to remind her when a monster roared to life beneath her.

"I don't think this is such a good idea." She said as she pressed her face to his back.

"Relax." Was all he said before they were zooming off. Darien smiled when she squeezed him with her arms and legs. He had always wanted to get her unto the bike. The opportunity had never presented itself before. He took the long way, determined draw out this moment between them. She never relaxed her hold and he was happy about it. Finally, he turned, heading to the shrine.

Her legs shook with the effort to relax. She had to lean on him. "You jerk. Why didn't you take your car?"

"How do you know I have a car?"

"Because I've seen-" she trailed off. "I've seen it? I've seen it? Wow." She said then promptly passed out. Concern warred with exasperation as he lifted her into his arms. Then it turned to pleasure at feeling her in his arms.

"What did you do to her?" Rei exclaimed.

"She just had a memory flash, I think."

"Get her inside. The others are waiting. What did she do to her beautiful hair?" Rei exclaimed in horror. Inside, the other stood around restlessly. They all, thankfully, remained where they were.

"Ami, maybe you should check her out." Ami took out her mini-comp and began her analysis.

"Hmmm. That's strange."

"What?"

"This isn't Serena's life signature."

"But-It's Serena."

"That's what's strange too." Ami said typing rapidly. "It's her DNA but there is no trace of her powers. It's just not there."

"She's lost her powers?"

It was Luna who spoke up. "That would be impossible. The power of the moon is not something she could lose. Forget but not lose completely." Luna touched her nose to the warm cheek of the unconscious girl. It was an affectionate gesture that they all reflected.

"It's Serena." Ami said again. "But there is no trace of Serenity in her. It's just Serena."

"I don't care." Mina said. "She's back. That's what's important." They all sat and watched her until she stirred. "What did she do to her hair?" she touched the shortened locks and scowled.

"Ugh-I feel awful." She sat up. "Darien? You jerk, where are you?"

"I see her temperament towards you has not changed." Lita said.

"Who's that?" she scrambled into a sitting position. "Darien!" There was panic in her voice.

"Calm down, Serena. Let me make the introductions." One by one he introduced her to the girls who each hugged her. Then she was introduced to four men.

"Are all a club or something? We're paired off." She said.

"Or something." Rei muttered. "But we're not all paired off in that sense. Only Jed and I are actually together."

"Oh. So Darien and I aren't-" her brows furrowed. "Then why the hell did he kiss me?" Silence reigned. She heard on snicker and she heard Rei say 'zip it, Jed' so she assumed it was Jadeite.

"Serena-"

"You're not telling me everything. Something else is going on here."

"Well, yes, there is but it would be too much to explain on a first meeting. Until we're sure you can handle your memories without passing out, it would be best to hold off and large revelations."

"You kissed her?" she heard the whisper and sighed.

"Yes, he kissed me."

"You heard that?" was the nervous response.

"Obviously."

"Well, how about we all go get some ice-cream. Andrew would like to see Serena too." Mina said.

"And you want to see Andrew." Serena said then covered her mouth. "Sorry. Sorry." There was a growl then giggling.

"Oh, Sere, you'll remember in no time at this rate." The one named Mina said. "Yes, I do want to see Andrew. So how about it? Up for ice-cream?"

"Sure."

At the Crown Arcade, Serena was greeted with cheering and free ice-cream. "Why is everyone so nice?" she whispered to Mina.

"You're like a legend. Without you, it's been pretty boring. Especially you and Darien's daily shouting match."

"What is it about him and me?" when there was silence she sighed. "You don't have to tell me everything. Just clarify this-this chemistry."

"Chemistry. Nice word for it." Mina chuckled. "You and he were like mortal enemies when you met. He teased you incessantly for years. Personally, I always thought he had a thing for you. You were a little slow on the uptake. It didn't help you had a major crush on his best friend Andrew."

"Your Andrew?"

"Don't worry about it. We all did. Anyway, one day you were like totally into Darien. Not that either of you admitted your feelings. After the incident that cost you your sight, he was always at your side. You two just sorta clicked. You weren't together but it was heading that way."

"What happened towards the end?"

"Now that, I'll have to hold off on. But you two really like each other." Serena doubted that the emotions that tore through her when he touched her or spoke could be classified as 'like'.

"Before we came to meet you, he called me 'princess' and it was more familiar than my own name."

"Hmmm. Something else I can't tell you. Yet. Look, I know you want to know everything now, but we have to think about why you lost your memory in the first place. We don't want you to have a relapse or anything."

"I guess you're right. Tell me something, why are you with Andrew when it's so obvious you have a thing for this Malachite guy?" Mina choked.

"SSSSh. Sere!"

"Sorry." She lowered her voice.

"Malachite and I had something a long time ago. But I'm with Andrew."

"But-"

"It's complicated."

"Isn't everything?"

"Malachite is too old for me." She said.

"Mina-isn't he the same age as Darien."

"A year older."

"And Andrew is Darien's age. How is Malachite too old for you?"

"Sere!" Mina whined.

"I'm just trying to understand." Mina thought it over than she sighed.

"They can't kill me for showing this to you. Don't panic okay? And don't tell Rei. She'll just cuss us out." Mina laid her hand on Serena's temple and waited. She heard the gasp. Exactly a minute later, she removed her hand.

"You looked different."

"Yeah. It was a long time ago. Look, I don't have a thing for Malachite. I'm completely in love with him. But he is an idiot and a jerk." There was sadness in her voice. "I want to be with Andrew now."

"Does Andrew know you're in love with someone else?"

"Yeah. He's in love with someone else too. She's in Africa. We're just keeping each other company."

"Weird."

"Yeah. But it works for now. He's really sweet. It would be so easy if we really loved each other."

"Are we like best friends?" Serena asked.

"You could say that."

"How did I really lose my sight?"

"Sere! Why are you trying to get me in trouble?"

"I'm not-I just-"

"It must be frustrating not remembering all of us and on top of that you don't have your sight to help jog your memory."

"Frustrating is an understatement." She scooped more ice-cream into her mouth. "Do you know a Yumi?"

"Yeah. She's in Andrew's class. I can't stand her."

"Why not?"

"Opportunist. She tried to scoop Andrew from me. I put her in her place. When did you meet her?"

"She was leaving Darien's when I met him this morning."

"Watch your back around her. Obviously, she's after him now."

"But he's not my boyfriend. I have no claim to him. Besides if he wants her, why should I stand in his way?"

"Trust me, he wants you. He's been a wreck without you. Completely miserable. After the third week, we had to take shifts watching him. He was so depressed, we feared he might try to hurt himself."

"Why would he do that if we aren't even together?"

"Because you love each other."

"What?"

"Love is sort of my specialty. You two-it's so intense. Not even amnesia dulled or erased your response to him, right?"

"Don't tell him but it wasn't the memory flash that made me pass out." She said softly. "As soon as I stepped into his apartment, I felt-something. It was dizzying. The kiss plus the ride over on his bike made me short circuit. He's really good at it." Mina giggled.

"So you told me before."

The day was long and well spent. Her family stayed over at her apartment and she didn't mind. It was nice to have them around her. When her brother climbed into bed with her in the early hours of the morning she held him to her as he cried.

"Shingo. I'm sorry I went away." She whispered.

"Don't do it again."

"I won't. I promise." In the morning, she got pancakes and ice-cream. Her mother brushed her hair for her and clucked over the length.

"I wish you had come back before you hacked off all your beautiful hair."

"Me too. I cried for two days after I did." She said enjoying the brush as it detangled and shined.

"Well, it'll grow back."

"It's sure taking its sweet time." She muttered and her mother laughed. The sound was warm. Comforting. "I want to go back to school, tomorrow."

"I guess you could. I know Ami will help you catch up in class. I sure she's already told the teacher you'll be back soon. Maybe she'll bring over all the assignments later."

"Assignments?" she gulped.

"Well that hasn't changed. Still hate school?"

"Hate is too mild a word." Serena said shuddering. "How am I gonna do assignments if I can't see?"

"You were managing before you left. You'll do it now. You're a strong girl, Serena. And we're all here to help you."

"It's nice not to be alone, anymore."

"Good. I've got to go now. If you need me, just have one of your friends drop you off."

"Okay."

She spent the day with Darien at his school. She knew she'd never been there before. She dozed while he sat in classes then listened as he studied during the break sessions.

"You're training to be a doctor?"

"Yes." He closed the book and looked at her. "I understand, you know."

"Understand what?"

"Losing memories. I don't have any memories of my mother or father. Or anything before my sixth birthday. The doctors told me I was in an accident and my parents died in the crash."

"I'm sorry."

"I know it's not as bad as losing your entire life, but I understand the feeling of that blankness where memories should be. Good or bad."

"Thank you. For telling me that." They were silent. Serena chose to break the silence. "I wish you'd tell me what's really going on between us."

"I don't want to pressure you."

"I'll be fine. I won't pass out. Trust me."

"It would involve telling you some things that are really hard to believe." Because he wanted to, he conjured up a rose and ran it down her cheek.

"Where's that come from?"

"You and me are-hmmm-do you know anything about mythology?"

"I think so. A little."

"Our story starts there." He explained as best he could, stopping only to answer a question. When he finished she was still and silent.

"So we're aliens? My friends and I?"

"In a way. You didn't start out here but you are from earth."

"So I have powers?"

"You had powers. Ami examined you that day. She said there is no trace of your powers."

"Why would I lose my powers?"

"I don't know." They pondered this as he packed up and headed to class. They stuck to small talk for the rest of the day. Serena, was glad. She couldn't handle much more than the incredible story he'd described.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Important notes. Serena is 18 at the beginning of this story. If you saw sixteen, it was a mistake. Regarding what might seem to be confusing events: Darien was dreaming that first time he supposedly visited Serena at home after the accident. As was pointed out at the very beginning of the next chapter.**

Chapter 9

She pondered over what Darien had told her. It seemed unbelievably crazy but it made sense. Why else would she be found wondering around the North Pole – thousands of miles away from her home? And it put her feelings for Darien in perspective. She ran the cold water over her face and then toweled it dry.

"You're one weird chick, Serena. Very weird." She climbed into bed and hoped her mind would sort itself out sooner rather than later.

_Don't forget…_

"_Forget what?"_

_Remember who you are…_

"_Who am I?"_

_Me…_

"_That makes no sense!"_

_He's the key…he'll help you…_

"_Who?"_

…

"_Who?"_

She woke in a cold sweat. She shivered. That was a weird dream. If it could be called a dream. Swirls of light and a soft, weary voice whispering to her. She needed the hot water to drive the persistent cold. She was so cold. She didn't have time for panic attacks or worrying about strange dreams. She had to get ready for school. Ami _did_ bring the assignments over. So she was on her way to catching up. Her mother had sent a uniform over for her. It was interesting to feel how snuck they were. She wondered if they were made that way or if she had filled out some. The knock came when she was half-way done with her cereal.

"It's Darien." She opened the door and let him in. "Nice place."

"Yeah. Do you need something?"

"I was wondering if you needed a ride to school?"

"It's out of the way."

"I don't care." He said. "So? Do you need a ride?"

"As long as it's not the bike." Her damaged brain couldn't deal with proximity to him and the thrilling ride of the bike.

"Coward."

"True. Let me get my bag." She snatched a cereal bar as she passed the kitchen on her back to him. "Let's go."

The car purred like a kitten and drove like a dream. He was a really good driver. "Are you rich? I mean-you're going to school, you live in this great apartment and you have a car and a bike."

He glanced at her and smirked. "I am. My parents left me a great deal of money. Since I was a ward of the state for ten years after the accident, the money had a good amount of time to mature."

"Oh." He pulled up to the school and stopped.

"I'll walk you in."

"You don't need to-"

"Yes I do. I don't like being away from you. So let me indulge myself." She couldn't help but smile at the words. She wondered if this was how they were before – everything.

"Okay. Will you pick me up, later?" she asked.

"My classes run later than yours. I'll meet you at the Arcade." She hesitated and he took the opportunity to kiss her. She inhaled sharply.

"Maybe we shouldn't be kissing until I get my memory back. For all I know, you're just taking advantage of me." She said trying without success to calm her rapidly beating heart.

"Really?" he said greatly amused.

"I-"

"I don't think I could wait that long, Sere." He kissed her again then gave her a rose. "See you later."

She wasn't sure how she got to the class. Autopilot maybe. But she heard the whispers. "She's back." One said.

"I can't believe she cut her hair. All that beautiful hair." Another said and the tone was mournful.

"Did you see that guy she was with? Gorgeous. How'd she snag him?" She tuned it out for the most part. She jerked when an excited, high-pitched voice pulled her back to reality.

"Serena? Oh my gosh, you're back. I heard rumors but I didn't want to believe."

"Molly?" Serena recognized the voice as Ami. Her fellow scout.

"Hi Ami. Can you believe it? She's back!" Molly said.

"Molly, Serena doesn't really remember you."

"What? Is this a joke? Serena couldn't possibly forget me. Or Melvin."

"Whatever happened to her caused amnesia. She doesn't remember anything or anyone."

"Not even Darien?" Molly said in awe.

"Does _everyone_ know about me and Darien?" Serena interjected. What was it about her and Darien that _everyone_ seemed to think him unforgettable.

"Well, only your friends." Ami said in amusement.

"I don't remember him, per se. Some part of me recognizes him. If I could see, it would help. So, you're Molly?" she said quickly changing the subject.

"Yes. We've been friends since kindergarten. And this is your other friend Melvin." Said friend said hello then proceeded to explain to Molly about some obscure chemical equation.

"Your boyfriend." Serena said.

"You remember that?" Molly said obviously used to Melvin's chatter as he kept on talking.

"I get flashes now and then. It's nice to meet you. Again, Molly and Melvin."

"I'll see you after class, right?"

"Of course. You can sit with me and the others."

Class started and ended uneventfully. Serena found that she wasn't a dunce. She understood what was going on in the lecture. It didn't alter her dislike of the institution. For the most part, it was a whirlwind of meeting people that knew her. Explaining her situation. "I'm exhausted." She said to Ami and Mina after school.

"You are well liked at school." Mina said. "I guess it helps that you're not out to snag one of the guys at school."

"I gathered. Are we going to the Arcade?" she said.

"It's routine." Mina said. "Go to school and then head to the Arcade so we can forget all the stress we had in the day. Nothing wipes the mind like chocolate sundae with the works." Serena giggled and gripped Mina's hand tighter.

"Ami?" Serena inquired.

"Hmmm?" Said person was obviously in a different world.

"What's up with you and Zoicite?" Mina choked but recovered just as they opened the door to the Arcade.

"What do you mean?" Serena heard the nerves and frustration behind the words.

"It's awkward between you two. Really awkward."

"Well-"

"Oh, tell her Ami. You have to talk to someone about it."

"I-" She kept them waiting until they were seated and served. "He has feelings for someone else."

"But, he seems to love you."

"I'm not questioning that. He is – confused by his feelings. It torments him really. He doesn't think he's worthy of me because he sees his defection in allegiance and feelings as unforgivable betrayals."

"Have you forgiven him?"

"I don't know if I can forgive him for his real crime."

"What real crime?"

"He wants to die."

"What?" Mina and Serena exclaimed.

"He doesn't want to live. How can I forgive that he doesn't think what we had is worth living for? It's all so complicated trying to sort out past feelings with present ones. I didn't feel anything for him, at first. I was just really angry with him. But during the search, I learnt to like him. He's very nice. Very courteous. But his stupid head won't stop thinking long enough to listen to anything any of us have to say. I talked to Rei about this. I think I should just move on with someone else."

"Do you know who he has feelings for?" Serena asked.

"Yes. And it embarrasses him. Humiliates him. It terrifies him that the person will find out and it will cost him a friendship."

"He told you all this?" Mina said.

"Uh-I guess I never really told any of you that I'm telepathic."

"Like Rei?"

"Yes. I can also feel what you're feeling."

"Wow. Cool. How come I don't have any cool power?"

"It's not a power so much as mental. Mercurians have a very advanced brain. We're able to use parts of our brain others can't."

"Oh."

"Isn't Venus like really good at love and stuff?" Serena said between bites. "She's supposed to be like really adept at bringing a man to attention." Serena giggled when Mina and Ami choked. "I read up on some mythology today."

"Are you saying I'm a pervert?" Mina shoved Serena and she laughed.

"Chill, Mina. I mean you're good at relationships – except your own. As to the physical aspect-"

"I am a virgin, thank you very much." Mina said through her teeth.

"Everyone except Rei." Serena corrected then covered her mouth. "Shoot. I don't think she wanted anybody to know that."

"Rei's – active?"

"Forget I said anything. I don't even know how I knew that."

"Oh my-" Ami said then giggled. "No wonder Jadeite was pissed when he found Rei kissing Chad."

"I didn't meet him." Serena said in reference to the new name.

"He's on tour right now. He's a major rock star. He stays at the shrine off tour. He's totally into Rei. Jadeite wants to wring his neck because he gets to live with Rei."

"Where _do_ the men live?"

"They all stay with me. I have a huge house." Mina said.

"Rich too?"

"My dad owns a huge company in England. I came to Japan to find you."

"Find me? Was a lost?"

"In a way. Your identity as princess was unknown to us."

"Oh. Tell me what happened before I disappeared. Darien glossed over it."

"We can't disobey Darien. Rei's orders we can ignore to an extent. But Darien is royalty."

"Technically, you're subject to me until I supposedly marry the prince. He has no authority over you." She said.

"Sere, no fair." Mina whined.

"She is right. Darien was kidnapped by the enemy and brainwashed. Things were rough for you. I think it's the emotional fragility coupled with the use of your then latent powers that caused the amnesia." Ami said quickly.

"Things were rough how?"

"Mina brought it to our attention that Darien – under compulsion of his former feelings – tormented you. Even brainwashed, he could not seem stay away from you and the twisted nature of this thoughts made him blame you to some extent. So he used your feelings for him against you. You were on the edge. You decided to take on Beryl – the one who kidnapped Darien – by yourself. You almost died. When the dust – or ice – settled, you were gone. Beryl was dead, and Darien was back to normal." She continued.

"But Dr. Li and his team found me in the North Pole. Is that where it all went down?" Serena asked desperately wanting the pieces to be connected. More than anything she just wanted to remember.

"Yes. The men search for weeks after we did the initial searches. There was no sign of you. We had to return to assume some normal semblance of life while the men continued the search."

"At least you looked. What happens if I get my memory back but not my powers?"

"We don't know." Mina said.

"We'll deal with one thing at a time." Ami said.

"Ami? I don't think you should give up on Zoicite just yet." Ami didn't reply. "Mina? I don't think you should test Malachite for too long. He gave you space for now – it won't last for long."

"For someone with amnesia, you sure know a lot about us." Mina muttered. "Malachite can go to hell." She said and stuck ice cream into her pouting mouth.

"It's more impression than knowing. He doesn't seem the patient or tolerant type."

"He had to wait for years to even see me again. I suspect he learnt a little patience. Not that I intend to start up anything with him. He's ungrateful and arrogant. A total snob. I can't begin to imagine why I even thought I was in love with him."

"Still. Be careful you don't lose the one you really want." Serena said.

Her dreams continued to dog her. They confused her. But there was urgency to them.

_She was so cold. She didn't have very long left._

"_How do I save you?"_

_Find him. Bring him here…_

"_Where is here? Who should I find?"_

_You know…you know…_

"_Please..."_

_I don't have much longer…you must hurry…You must come back…_

She shot up out of the dream. It was still dark out and she was freezing. She wrapped the blanket around her and walked carefully to the front door. She knocked on his door and waited as her heart pounded painfully in her chest. The cold would not abate.

"Serena? What's wrong?" his voice was rough with sleep. Concern layered over surprise.

"So cold." Her teeth chattered. "I can't get warm. C-can't get warm." He pulled her into the apartment and cursed when he touched her icy skin. "She's dying."

"Who's dying?" he said running his hands over her arms. She sagged against him, her strength deserting her.

"Me." She said. "I'm dying. I'm dying." She collapsed against him and had panic racing through Darien.

The ambulance, he thought, would take forever so he opted to drive her to the hospital. At three in the morning, there was hardly any traffic. He burst into the emergency ward, galvanizing the night staff into action.

"Did she fall into cold water?" the doctor asked when he saw her pale complexion and blue lips.

"I don't think so. She was in her apartment before she came to me complaining of cold. She was freezing. Her skin was like ice. Then she passed out." The doctor shone a light into her eyes.

"She's hypothermic." The nurse rushed in with thermal blankets. She quickly and efficiently stripped Serena before sandwiching her between two sheets.

"Will she be okay?"

"We'll know more in a little while. So far, it doesn't look hopeless." With that, the doctor turned back to Serena. "Are you family?" he asked as he inserted an IV.

"No. I'm her boyfriend. I should probably call her parents."

Darien explained the situation, such as it was once the Tsukinos arrived. "Since I called you, she's improved. Her vitals are strong and stable. Her temperature is improving."

"Do they know what caused this?"

"No."

"My poor baby."

"It's okay, honey. Serena will be fine. She's a strong, stubborn girl." Mr. Tsukino said. "Can we see her?" he said to Darien.

"I guess so. She is not critical. She woke up once before you got here. She didn't say anything though."

"You speak like a doctor." Mrs. Tsukino said dabbing at her eyes. "Yes. Serena did say you were training to be a doctor. She used to talk about you." She said absently. "Thanks for taking care of her."

Serena didn't wake up again until midday. And she was hungry. "Why am I in a hospital? Again?"

"You collapsed last night. You were hypothermic." Darien said from the door. "I brought you some soup."

"Thanks. I don't remember any of that."

"You don't remember coming to my apartment." She frowned.

"I remember dreaming that I was in your apartment last night. It wasn't a dream?"

"Do you often dream about being in my apartment late at night, Serena?" he teased.

"Shut up." She pouted. "Leave me to eat in peace."

"Knowing you, you'll turn the whole thing over on yourself. I'll feed you."

"I can feed myself, Darien Shields."

"I'm sure you can. Open up."

"No." She said petulantly.

"Come on. I bet you're hungry."

"I ca-" he put the spoon in her mouth and she scowled at him. "Hey!"

"Don't make this difficult." He watched as she opened her eyes. He missed seeing her eyes. She kept them closed nowadays. "Why do you keep your eyes closed?" he asked as he continued to feed her.

"I get dizzy when I have them open. It's like my brain is telling my eyes to see but the message isn't getting through."

"You had found a way to see temporarily before you disappeared. But you had to use your powers."

"Hmmm. Figures."

"There's nothing wrong with your eyes physically."

"I know. Dr. Mizuno checked them the other day."

"DO you remember anything else?" he asked.

"No. I have dreams. I had one last night."

"About?"

"I don't remember it clearly. I hear someone speaking. No. I'm speaking to someone. But I can't hear the words. There was light. And a wall. A large wall. Someone was trapped it."

"Maybe it's your subconscious telling you its okay to remember."

"Maybe. I remember it being very cold. It was so cold. Do you think I'm remembering?"

"It's possible. Come on. Once you finish this soup, the doctor can release you."

"So soon? Are you sure I'm okay? Healthy people don't just lose their body heat like that."

"You're fine."

She didn't feel fine. In fact she felt like she was losing her strength. It was hard to concentrate in class when she really just wanted to sleep. She took a nap during lunch then found it the hardest thing to wake up for afternoon classes.

"You okay, Sere?" Mina asked as she helped her walk to the arcade.

"I just feel really tired. I guess I was pushing it coming back to school so quickly."

"Do you want to go home?"

"No. Not yet. Darien is expecting me. If I'm too tired, he'll take me home." She yawned and sighed. "Maybe my blood sugar is low." True enough, the sugar did give her a little boost. It was enough to keep her until she got home.

"You okay?" Darien asked touching her forehead. "You don't feel like you have a fever."

"Actually, I'm sorta cold. I'll get a jacket and meet you back here." She hurried over to her apartment and got the jacket. Back at Darien's, he wrapped her in his blanket for good measure.

"I remembered something else today." She said once he settled her with a cup of hot cocoa.

"Yeah?"

"I remembered the day I met you. On the moon."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I remember thinking 'what an arrogant pig' then being angry at something you said."

"Nice memory." He muttered.

"Hey, I don't control them. They just jump into my head." She sneezed. "I'm really tired. And I feel stuffy."

"Do you need another blanket? Socks?"

"Socks would be nice." Instead of getting up, he took of his and put it on her.

"Already warm." He explained as he drew them on.

"Yeah." He pulled her against his chest to share some of his heat. She wasn't warming up. "I've been thinking about what you said about my dream." She said putting aside how his act thrilled her.

"Hmmm."

"I think you might be right. But I think there is more to it. The more I thought about the dream, the clearer it became. I remembered what was behind the wall."

"What is it?"

"The crystal."

"What crystal? _Your_ Crystal?"

"Yeah. All my powers and memories are sealed within it. But I can't break the wall. The longer it's behind the wall the weaker and colder I'll get. I won't survive, Darien." She said then fell asleep.

"Serena? Serena?" he swore. The hospital wouldn't do more than stabilize her. It would also worry her parents unnecessarily. He needed the scouts. "Malachite, get everybody together. I'm bringing Serena to Rei and Ami."

"Sure." The man said.

Rei used her hands to keep Serena warm while Ami examined her. "She was right. She is getting weaker. And colder. At this rate, she'll slip into a coma and never wake up."

"What do we do?" Darien said. "We can't let her die. We don't have a future without her."

"You are right, Prince Darien." The voice was disembodied and it prompted everyone to stand defensively.

"Who is that? Show yourself." There was a flash of light and three women were standing before them.

"We're here to help. I am Pluto. These are Uranus and Neptune. We're the scouts of the outer planets. I have been monitoring the situation and it is grave. I sent Uranus and Neptune to the battle sight and what we found was troubling."

"What?" Mina said stepping forward. "What have you found?"

"Princess Mina." The scouts kneeled respectfully before the increasingly red scout.

"Why are you kneeling? Aren't you princesses too?"

"You are our leader in the princess' absence." Uranus said.

"Oh. Oh. Well, tell us what you found." She cut a look to Rei who just rolled her eyes.

"We found the Princess." Pluto said once more rising to her feet.

"But that is impossible she is right here." Rei exclaimed.

"Not so." Pluto said. "But she isn't an imposter. She is a manifestation of the princess. Which is why she has no powers or memories. She was created by the princess to lead you to her. But the time spent encased in her icy prison has weakened her. She cannot sustain this version of herself. If this one dies, so will the Princess."

"How do we free her?"

"We can't." Neptune said. "We tried. She nearly killed us for it. Or rather, the barrier she has erected did. It also drains her power."

"But you can free her." Uranus said to Darien. It was obvious from her tone that she had no love for the Prince. "Neptune analyzed the crystals that surround her. We think in an attempt to save her from herself, you trapped her. It's something we would expect of you and your people."

"That's a lie! I would never do that to Serena."

"No. Not consciously." Pluto said placing a restraining hand on the scout. It wouldn't do to waste time arguing over Amara's dislike for the relationship between the prince and their princess. "I heard what she said during the fight. Whatever Beryl had sealed within you did something desperate to save her but it is killing her. Only you can release her."

"Then let's go." Rei said. "We don't have much time."

Pluto looked at Mina who nodded her assent. Rei sighed. "Very well." Pluto said and raised her staff. In an instant, they were surrounded by ice and furiously cold wind. "Transform or the cold will kill you." The girls transformed and then followed Pluto and the other two deep into a cave.

"We excavated it this far. We can go no further." Neptune said. "Only Darien and the little one can enter." She said indicating the unconscious girl her carried. Darien nodded and stepped up to the wall of ice unsure of what to do. Immediately, it peeled away like the petals of a rose. He looked back for a minute then steeped through the opening. It shut him in before anyone could reconsider following him.

"Will he be okay?" Mina asked.

"Let's hope so." Lita said worriedly.

Darien looked up at the crystal pillar. Encased in the ceiling high pillar was the Moon Princess. She was beautiful in repose. He wondered what part of him was capable of doing this to her. To anyone. "Serena. What should I do?" He looked at the girl in his arms and she was looking up at him.

"Put me down."

He shook his head. "It's too cold for you."

"I'll be fine." He hesitated a second before complying. He supported her with both his arms since she was still weak. She made her way to the column.

"I can see her. She's smiling." Darien looked up at the frozen woman. There was no smile. Serena grabbed his hand and stepped to the pillar. Her hand caressed the smooth surface. "Set her free, Darien. Let her go."

"I don't know how." She brought his hand to the pillar and then she vanished. "Serena!" He turned around but she was gone. He looked up at her. Her eyes were open now. It was eerie. The direct gaze of the frozen woman seemed very much unfrozen. He thought, for an instant, she was angry. He touched the pillar again and it seemed to ripple beneath his hand. "Can you hear me?"

_Yes._

He froze. Yep. She was definitely angry. "You can?"

_Yes._

"How do I free you?"

_I don't know, Darien. This was you're doing._

"How much longer do you have?"

_Not long. I can feel the life slipping away._

"You can't leave me Serena. Not like this. You can push me out of your life if you want. I'll go if you ask me to. Just don't die. Please. So many people love you. And need you. I need you. I need to know you're alive in this world even if we never speak again."

_I don't want to die, Darien. I just wanted you to be free._

"You freed me."

_Then let me go. Please._ The thought was just a flash in his mind. The pillar cracked then in one brilliant flash it shattered. He saw no freed princess in the many sparkling pieces of the former prison.

"SERENA!" The cavern shook and light bounced around it in a crazy, dizzying dance. "SERENA!"

"You don't have to yell. Give me a second." The voice was disembodied. It was annoyed. And tired. It floated around him.

"Serena-"

"Ssssh. Let me concentrate." The lights stilled, the cavern stopped shaking and a strong wind replaced it. He was pushed backwards and into a wall. He watched as the lights swirled together. Then he saw it. The outline of her body. Her hair. The lights disappeared into the outline then it was gone. The cavern was dark. The wind ceased. He was still alone.

"Se-" the wind started up again, biting into his skin. Then she was falling from the ceiling. He dashed out and caught her in a flying leap.

"Whew." She blew her bangs out of her eyes. "Nice catch."

"Serena?"

"Who else? Can we go home now? I'm starving." She seemed fine.

"You remember who I am?"

"Yes, you're the jerk that trapped me in ice and forgot. Now put me down. I'm not speaking to you right now." And she seemed fit enough to snap at him. Her skin was just a little cold so he wrapped his cape around her.

"Gee, you're welcome." He responded.

"I didn't thank you." Darien smirked and set her down. "What are you smirking at?" he leaned down so they were face to face. She blinked rapidly and even in the cold cavern, she managed to blush. He smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Good to have you back, meatball head." As soon as she pouted, he kissed her into submission. "Let's go, our friends are waiting." She gripped his hands suddenly and shook her head. "You okay?"

"I'm-I'm losing my sight."

"But-"

"Shit. I'm still blind. I thought for sure I'd be able to see of after all this crap."

He was stunned by her language. She hardly used such strong language. In fact, she tended to scold him for his fiery tongue. "Well-" she looked up at him and frowned. "What?"

"I can still see you." She said obviously displeased.

"What do you mean?"

"I can still see you. Everything else is a void but you're definitely there. Am I being cursed? Why? Didn't I suffer enough? Get me out so Ami can check me over. I don't want to spend the rest of my life in a dark void with only your face as company."

"Of course, your highness." He said chaffing at her words. She slapped his chest for the sarcasm. It only served to make him angry.

Pluto took them back to Juuban after a tearful reunion and then said goodbye. Ami spent a few minutes checking Serena over. "Physically she's fine." She typed quickly as she studied the data in a language only she seemed to know.

"I'm hungry." She complained.

"Her personality hasn't changed." Rei said. "Jed, order a pizza." Said general hissed his teeth but complied with the demand.

"Quiet, Pyro. Why can't I see anything but him?" Serena said, disdain lacing the question. Ami turned her computer to Darien and typed information into it.

"I'm overwhelmed by your gratitude and happiness, princess."

"He's tied you to him." She said in shock prohibiting Serena's response.

"What? I did no such thing." He protested. "I _can't_ do such a thing."

"Well, that's what happened." She turned her computer to Mina and Malachite. "The pathway is similar to the one that Malachite and Mina have." Mina looked away from the glittering silver eyes of the intimidating general, deliberately focusing on the small, blue haired genius. "And she is resisting." Ami continued turning back to Serena.

"Is that why she's blind?" Lita asked. Ami frowned when her min-comp beeped and shut down.

"Serena, stop trying to overload my computer." She said and the princess pouted.

"I-" she began then folded her arms petulantly and looked away. "Have a heart. Can't we do this later? I'm starving."

"Settle down, Serena. The pizza is on it's way." Rei said smacking the back of the girl's head.

"Hey! A little compassion for the invalid." She complained.

"May I?" Zoicite said and took the mini-comp from Ami who was flabbergasted.

"How did you do that?" Mina said. "Nobody has ever been able to touch that mini-comp much less take it." Zoicite smirked at Mina.

"It only works for Mercurians." Ami agreed, her voice steely.

"But you're not-" Mina began.

"My mother was from Mercury." Serena listened to his voice and cocked her head to the side thoughtfully.

"Zoicite, why is it that Ami is angry with you? Ami is never angry." Serena said.

"Serena." Mina warned. Serena frowned then her mouth formed an 'o'.

"I see." Serena said. Zoicite ignored the chatter and resumed where Ami left off. After a few more minutes, he spoke up.

"Serena's blindness is a result of a foreign chemical that is prohibiting the transfer of brain signals along her optic nerve. It is almost impossible to detect. In large quantities, it's lethal. Had she ingested it at the time of the incident, she would have died in five hours."

"How do you know this?"

"I made it." He said simply. He walked to Serena. "Beryl needed a way to get her out the way. Poison seemed an easy way. She hadn't counted on a power struggle among the scouts that would place Serena farther away from the youma than normal." There was no inflection in his voice. Just facts.

"But I swallowed some." Rei said her hand flying to her throat.

"It was made specifically to kill Lunarians. It would cause you no ill effects." He said without looking at her. "No doubt, if you didn't have the Crystal protecting you, you might have died."

"Can you fix me?" Serena said. She said crossing her hand.

"It will take some time to make a remedy. But I should be able to reverse the effects. For now, if you wish to see, you must stop resisting the bond between you and the prince. The animosity will compound the problem. His powers have circumvented some of the effects."

"Can the tie be removed?" Lita asked. "Does it have rules like Venus'?"

"It can. In that, it is different from Venus and Malachite." He murmured. "It was Venus who tied Malachite to her in the way of her people. This tie was implemented to hold Serena to this plane of existence not for mating purposes." He said. He closed the mini-comp and handed back to Ami. She took it and retreated to a corner. "Your help would greatly speed the process, Princess Ami." He said deliberately.

"She'll help." Serena said. Ami sighed knowing she could never refuse Serena anything. Not because she was the princess but because she was a friend.

Working so closely with Zoicite was taxing to her patience. So when she got a call from Greg, she jumped at the opportunity to see something other than the four walls of the clinical environment of their lab.

"I'll meet you at the Arcade." She smiled into the phone.

"I hope I don't end up in the hospital this time. Not very romantic." He teased.

"No. It wasn't. I'm really glad you're okay." She said.

"No worries, Ami. See you later."

Ami turned to face an annoyed general. "This sets us back." He said.

"Seeing as you'll still be working on the remedy, I don't see how. Besides, Serena would not expect me to give up my life just so she can see." She shrugged into a light jacket. "I'll be back tomorrow at any rate." She moved towards the door and he stepped into her path.

"Perhaps I should escort you to the Arcade." He said.

"That isn't necessary. I'm not a princess with a target on her forehead in this time. And I can take care of myself."

"You require a chaperone." He said.

"This isn't the middle ages. I'm not going to hide away in a dark room with Greg and get it on. Just because I succumbed to my feelings with you then doesn't mean I cannot control myself."

"I meant no offense, Princess Ami." He bowed in deference to her and went back to work. She watched the tension in his shoulders and hardened her heart to the soft feelings that swam up in her heart.

Lita used her free time to practice her martial arts. Nephrite was a willing participant in the fighting.

"You know it was cowardly to try and kidnap me." She said to him as he evaded a punch.

"What would you have done in my situation, presented with the same opportunity?" She grunted under the force of a particularly strong round kick.

"Talking would have been nice. Asking Darien or Serena for help instead of trying to make off with me based on some past relationship was stupid. What if I didn't like you?"

"The chase was thrilling, however. And you're like or dislike for me at the time would have made good entertainment." He smiled at her. "Had Darien not managed to trap me, I would have succeeded and like Jadeite, I would have succeeded in reigniting the flame between us."

"You're assuming I wouldn't have electrocuted your ass for allowing Beryl to take you down. Weak." He growled, his hand wrapping around her throat. She went still and glared at him.

"Watch your tongue, Amazon."

"Mind you don't lose that hand, General." Her hand crackled dangerously in warning. "I have no qualms about singeing a few hairs or killing a few brain cells."

"You would threaten your lover?" he said running his thumb over the pulse in her throat.

"I see no lover." She narrowed her eyes. "What I see is one more guy hung up a past that can't be reclaimed. If any of you had any lick of sense, you'd stop relying on the memory of so-called feelings. I don't intend to allow memories to force me into a relationship with anyone."

"I am not like Malachite. I will not tolerate you attaching yourself to another. Do not endanger another's life because of stubbornness, Lita."

"Do not threaten me. Or whomever I choose to spend my time with. Now remove your hand or lose the arm." He complied slowly and stepped back.

"Your stubbornness has grown, Amazon. It will truly be a challenge to corner you." He said the thrill of the chase making his eyes glitter in excitement. "Let us continue our duel."

"Let's not." She said and walked out. He smiled after her.

"And so the hunt begins." He whispered.

Meanwhile, at Mina's house, Malachite did his best to dodge the projectiles the angry woman hurled at him.

"Have you lost your mind you ape?" she yelled. "How dare you haul me out like a sack of potatoes in front of the damn class! I will not be disrespected like that." She threw a bowling ball at him. He caught the sphere effortlessly.

"I was supposed to stand by while a princess of your stature made a fool of herself over a witless boy?"

"It is none of your business if I want to make a fool of myself, General Malachite. I do not answer to you."

"You damn well do, wife."

"Wife? I am not your wife."

"On the contrary. This bind you've put on us, effectively marries us. For eternity."

"I don't know what was going through my mind when I did that."

"Obviously exactly what you're trying to deny now." He took a step towards her and she advanced as well.

"I deny nothing, General. I simply choose to live my life unbound my foolish, albeit unconscious, decisions. I refuse simply to pick up where we left off. I do not reward traitors with love."

"Traitor?"

"You more than the others. You coveted the prince and his title. His power. Your best friend. You allowed yourself to be controlled by Beryl. You murdered your best friend."

His jaw clenched. "I cannot get involved with you. You are no innocent in this matter and Darien deserves more than what you gave him then and now."

"I did not covet Darien. I did not wish to have his title. Or power." He glared at her dangerously.

"Then what did you want? What the hell did Darien have that you didn't?" the answer was clear as soon as the angry words fell from her lips. "Dear god-you're in love with the princess!" Angry as she was, she could not stop the tears from gathering in her eyes. "You were-" she swallowed. "_Are_ in love with my best friend."

"Mina-"

"Get out. Get out. I don't want you near me. Leave my house. Or I will make you leave." She waited, watched as he fisted his hands then turned and left. She managed to wait until his presence had vanished from the vicinity before giving into the tears. To her sorrow.

Jadeite rubbed at his temple. "My friends are idiots." He said. He looked at Rei who was experiencing the same crush of emotions from her friends. "Is it any wonder Beryl could sneak up on us and force our compliance?"

"You're one to talk." Rei said. "You were the first to turn."

"I wasn't leaving myself out. I was no match for Beryl when minutes before we had argued our relationship to almost breaking point."

"My friends are so unhappy. Men are so stupid. When are you guys ever get a clue?"

"I assume the same time you girls stop being so ridiculously stubborn." He felt the fight. Could taste it and sighed. "I don't want to fight, Rei. I can't waste anymore time arguing with you. It would be dangerous to our current relationship with the weight of our friend's emotions stirring us up." He touched her cheek, the action cooling her temper.

"You've changed."

"Time does that." He smiled at her and she looked away unable to completely remain unaffected by the sight.

"Are we together because of the past? Are we fooling ourselves?" she asked quietly.

"Rei, I might have used our past as a reason to kidnap you, to hold you to me then, but what I feel for you has nothing to do with what happened back then. I love you. I want to be with you in the here and now. But I cannot force you to want the same thing."

"You really have changed." She said. "I love you too. Even if you are an idiot."

"Then will you end this affair with your shrine boy?"

"His name is Chad." She defended.

"If I wasn't so jealous, I might care what he was called." He said in exasperation and Rei giggled.

"How about I think about this? Give me some time to decide if this is best for me. If being with you is what I really and truly want."

He hissed a breath through his teeth. "I have not grown in patience, Rei. Just tolerance. But I will do this for you. I can't promise to be completely good-natured about it. If at all." He kissed her fingers. "Let's go eat."

She told Dr. Li as much as she could tell him under the given circumstances. He was happy about her returned memories.

"You'll moving back to your parent's home?"

"Yes. I want to thank you for all you've done for me."

"It was my pleasure. I'm glad everything worked for you."

"Me too."

She packed her clothes quickly. It would be nice to be back in her own room. With her own things. With her own family. A knock at door meant her father was ready and waiting to help her move back into his house.

"Hey dad!" she hugged him. "I'm mostly done. You can help yourself to anything in the fridge." She frowned. "I should probably give whatever's left to Darien."

"I'll just have a soda while I'm waiting."

"Okay."

It took another hour before they were lugging the two suitcases into the elevator. "Do you ever travel light, sweetie?"

"I wouldn't be a girl if I did."

"Right." He said sarcastically. He waited until everything was stowed before speaking. "So what's' going on with you and Darien?"

"Dad!" she whined.

"I have a right to know who's going around with my daughter. Especially when he's older. Much too old for you."

"He's only twenty-two. I'm eighteen. But, we aren't together if that's what you want to know. We just like each other."

"Is he pressuring you?"

"What? No!" she said mortified. "We're just at a weird point in all this."

"But you hope to – solidify this thing between you two?"

"It's inevitable." She said under her breath. "We'll work something out. One way or the other." She said for his benefit,

He carried her luggage up to her room. "I'll see you later, sweetie. Do some studying."

"Uh-huh." She said and they both knew that without Ami's presence, no such thing would happen. "I'll make dinner."

"No funny stuff." He teased and she pouted. "Later." He kissed her forehead and left for work.

She picked up the phone knowing any attempt at cooking might kill her and destroy the house. Lita was more than happy to cook for the family. Serena decided to make it a sleep over.

"We can all just hang out at my house tonight." She said.

"Sounds like a plan. I'm sure Mina would appreciate a girl's night. It can't be easy with so much testosterone in the house."

"If I get whiplash from Darien, I can't imagine what it's like for her with four guys annoying the heck out of her." Serena laughed.

"I'll just call everybody. You just get some rest. You just got back and you have school tomorrow."

"Don't remind me. Ugh. See ya later."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Rei was the first to arrive. She had a six-pack of sodas and videos to watch. "Thanks for the invite, Sere. Chad is coming back tonight and Jadeite is driving me nuts."

"What are friends for?" Serena said. "We'll be camping in the family room."

"I'll set up."

Lita came next and planted herself in the kitchen. A few minutes later, Serena and Rei sniffed appreciatively at the aroma coming from Lita's domain.

"I'd marry her just for her cooking." Rei said.

"Forget it. I've got dibs on her." Serena said shoving Rei. They ended up wrestling on the floor. This was how Ami and Mina found them. It was clear to the two girls on the ground that Mina was faking her cheerful demeanour.

"I think we're gonna need some ice-cream." Serena said snagging the phone while still pinned by Rei.

"And some cookies. I'll let Lita know." Rei rose and went to the kitchen.

"I think we should all clear the air as to what's happening with us." Serena said. "But we'll wait until Lita can join us."

"Yes." Rei said. "We all need to vent."

"I'm not sure I should be venting." Mina said the words coming out like a growl.

"Yes, you should. If we encounter a new enemy, we should be able to deal without being sidetracked by our crazy, mixed-up personal feelings." Rei insisted. "Let's watch a movie until the cookies are done and the ice –cream gets here."

"Serena can't see, Rei." Mina scoffed.

"My ears work just fine." She defended. "Besides, I'll be getting a live commentary from all of you anyway." She teased.

"Then let's do it." Ami said.

"Oh, come on!" Lita said. "What idiot buys a screwy story like that? It's obvious those two are playing hide the salami behind her back."

"She is an idiot." Mina said. "If I found my best friend in bed with my man, I'd kill 'em both. The jerks. Fell asleep my ass."

"Some people just allow love to blind them to all faults. It's obvious she knows what's going on." Rei said and hissed her teeth.

"And she's hoping it'll all stop once they're married. News flash, it doesn't work like that." They all fell silent again as they watched. It was Lita who broke the silence again.

"Now she's pissed? I'd say it's days too late. No way am I wasting my wedding dress on some loser that's gonna screw my maid of honor in the vestry."

"What part of her is a maid? Biggest slut if I ever saw one." Rei said. The credit rolled and Ami turned on the music.

"So, guys, what's up?" Serena said, never one to beat around the bush. "Who goes first?"

"Me." Rei said. "Mine's easier. So, I love Jed. Not the past but this one. But I think I might have feelings for Chad too."

"You owe to yourself and the guys to sort it out before you make an impulsive decision." Ami said.

"And stop sleeping with Jed. It's unfair to Chad." Rei smacked Serena's head. "It was obvious, Rei. Plus if you end up choosing Chad, Jed's gonna be really pissed at you."

"It won't be easy." Rei said sighing. "I just can't help myself around him. I just wanna get closer."

"Do you feel that way about Chad?" Lita asked.

"No. It's sort a warm and cozy with him. Like, I know he'd never hurt me. It's just easy."

"Then there is your answer." Serena said. "I'm surprised you missed it. You're not an easy person to get along with, Rei. You know how to irritate and revel in the knowledge."

"True." Ami said. "You seem to enjoy a good fight. Wouldn't you get bored with Chad?"

"I does get pretty boring after a while." Rei admitted.

"So, there you go. Take a few days, see if there is anything, other than you not wanting to get hurt, between you and Chad." Mina said.

"Simple enough." Rei said not really believing her words but up to the challenge. "Now do Lita."

"Hey! Don't volunteer me." Lita protested by pulling on the braid she was currently making in Rei's hair. "Anyway, I don't have a problem. Nephrite's a cocky bastard. I'm just waiting for the right time to cut him down. He's stupid if he thinks I'm gonna trip all over myself because we had a fling way back when."

"So you do like him." Rei said.

"Sure. He's cute. And he can fight. Admirable qualities." She replied.

"How are you gonna 'cut him down'?" Serena asked intrigued.

"Men like him are all about the chase. I'll give him a chase. But it's a tricky thing for the hunter when he doesn't know he's being hunted." Mina mimicked a tiger and they all laughed. "He won't know what hit him." Lita said a mischievous light in her eyes.

"What about you, Ami?" Serena said. "Any progress on the antidote?"

"Some. We've isolated the chemical from the sample of your blood. We made a batch. General Zoicite should be working on breaking it down now. A new blood sample would be helpful so we could test any possible antidotes."

"Sure." Serena said munching on a cookie. "That aside, how are things?"

"As awkward as ever. It doesn't help that he never lost his memories. I've had a life without thoughts of him. I've developed feelings for others in that time."

"Like Greg?" Lita asked as she scraped her cup. "I need more ice – cream. Don't say anything until I get back." Lita came back with the entire carton of ice-cream and Mina snickered. "Can it, Mina."

"Go on, Ami." Serena said.

"It's made worse by his feelings for this other person."

"Oh, just say it, Ami." Mina said. "It's Malachite." The others gasped. "It shouldn't be a surprise. Next to Darien, Zoicite was the idiot's closest friend. Zoicite developed feelings for his friend because he was a woman for all those years."

"That's rough." Rei said.

"I can't even imagine how I'd deal if I started feeling attraction for one of you guys."

"We'd smother it out of you, don't worry." Rei said.

"Shut up." Lita said throwing a pillow at the girl. "So what are gonna do, Ami?"

"There's nothing to do as long as he wants to stay away from me. He doesn't want a relationship with me. That's clear."

"He wants Malachite?" Rei asked aghast.

"No. He just wants to die. But he would never consider it since Darien asked and ordered him not to harm himself. I'll just move on with my life as is. Greg's a wonderful guy."

"But you're not in love with him."

"I'm not in love with Zoicite either. Honestly, I wasn't in love with him back then either. We were just starting out and it got a little heated too quickly."

"Then you're better off for it. Either way, you'll grow to love somebody in this time. Me? I'm stuck because of some stupid decision with a guy who is in love with someone else." Mina said.

Serena sat up. "Malachite? He doesn't seem to have eyes for anyone but you."

"He hides it well." Mina said.

"So who is it?" Rei said. When Mina didn't continue Rei grew impatient. "Don't keep us in suspense."

"It isn't good." Mina said. "And I think Darien knew too."

"It's not Darien, is it?" Lita asked.

"No. It's Serena. Malachite is in love with Serena." There was a second of deafening silence before Serena started choking on the cookie. It took a few seconds to get the girl breathing again without coughing.

"Mina, are you serious? Malachite is in love with me?" Serena squeaked. "It's not possible."

"He is. I saw it in his eyes when I confronted him. And he didn't deny it."

"And you say Darien knew?" Rei asked. Mina nodded.

"It explains why he was so pissed when Malachite tried to help me that one time." Serena mused. "How do I face him knowing this? I need to talk to him, don't I?"

"What would it change?" Lita said. "You'd never leave Darien for him. You'd never hurt him like that. Or Mina. You love them both too much. Besides, he's tied to Mina."

"Such an ugly thing. Tied to me. Not in love. Tied. Why the hell did I invoke that stupid thing? How did I do it? It shouldn't have worked if he was in love with Sere all that time."

"Why wouldn't it work?" Ami asked intrigued.

"If he had feelings for anybody else, the attempt alone would have killed me. Or destroyed my powers at least."

"When did you tie him to you?" Ami asked.

Mina thought for a minute. "I guess it would have been the first time we came to earth. We were scouting the area to make things right for Serena. Safe."

"That means he wouldn't have met Serena yet. And you did it impulsively; without thought?" Ami said

"I guess. What are you getting at?"

"He didn't know Serena so he had no feelings for her when you bound yourself to him, and him to you."

"And I didn't tell him about it either. In fact, I didn't even know until one night I heard him in my head. That's when I knew what had happened."

"What do we do about it anyway? We can't force him not to love Serena." Rei said.

"And I can't knowingly encourage a relationship with anyone who I might develop feelings for. He would kill them and I couldn't stop him because it's his nature."

"The wolfman. That's what I called him." Serena spoke up.

"He's animalistic. It would be instinct for him to remove a threat to me. Not love."

Ami cleared her throat. "You are forgetting something else, Mina. As the Sailor Scout of love, if your feelings go unrequited you lose your powers of love. Your heart would break. You would become like Saturn. Except, you would be more of an avenging angel rather than the clean up for our failure." There was profound silence for a while. The only sound was the soft music that floated in the room. Serena ventured to break it.

"Mina, I hope you know I'd never do anything to hurt you. I'd never encourage him."

"I know Sere." Mina said.

"We should get some sleep." Ami said. "A good night's rest would do us well."

"Yeah." Serena said. Lita got up and turned off the room light and they all settled into the silence of the dark to ponder their situations.

_Princess…_

_Hmmm? Five more minutes._

_Ha ha ha ha…you're running out of time, brat._

_Go away…_

_I'm coming for you and you can't stop me…ha haha ha_

Serena jerked awake and looked around. Her friends were still asleep. She could hear her mom tiptoeing around the room and she smiled at the woman. "Mom." She jerked around, her hand on her heart.

"Serena." She whispered. "Are you okay?"

"Just a bad dream." Serena whispered back. "I'm gonna sleep for a while longer."

"You do that, honey. I'll see you in a bit. Your friends can stay for breakfast?"

"Sure." She murmured as she slipped back into the drugging effects of sleep.

Serena couldn't shake the feeling of dread that she had since she woke up. The dream was really getting to her. She barely paid attention in class and was in a daze throughout the break periods.

"Serena, are you feeling okay?" Ami asked worriedly.

"Huh? Yeah. Sure. Sure." She waved her off and slipped right back into her troubled thoughts.

"She's lying." Rei said looking into the oblivious girl's face. "What's wrong with you?" No answer.

"Sere?" Mina shook her and she looked at her and smiled. "She's creeping me out. Should we call Darien?"

"Why?" Lita said. "What's it gonna help if she's not talking? Besides, he's still in class. Let her alone for now. She'll snap out of it soon enough."

True enough she did. Mostly because her head started to hurt. "Welcome back, space head." Rei said.

"Come off it, Rei." Lita warned.

"It's okay, Lita." Serena said. "I have been spacing out all day." She shrugged.

"So what were you thinking so hard about?"

"Uh-" she hesitated. With all that was going on, she didn't want to worry her friends. "Just sorting through everything that happened. Being stuck like I was – was very unpleasant to say the least. I guess I'm still adjusting to being back."

"But you're fine right?" Mina asked.

"Perfectly. No ill effects."

Ami looked at her watch and sighed. "I gotta get going, guys. Need to get to work on the antidote."

"Sure. See you tomorrow." Mina said. They watched her walk out, tension making her seem stiff and uncomfortable.

Not long after Ami left, the other men showed up. Serena couldn't help the blush that heated her face when she sensed Malachite's eyes on her. She shifted uncomfortably when he took a seat next to Mina, directly across from her. Even without her sight, she could sense his scrutiny. She resolutely turned to Darien when he finally convinced Lita and Rei to give up their seat beside her.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" she snapped. "I'm fine." The table went silent and she sighed. "Sorry. Just a little tired."

"Uh-huh." Darien said and drew her gaze. She frowned at him and looked away. She'd forgotten she could see him for a second. She caught the lift of his brow before fixing her gaze on the invisible, but tangible, milkshake before her. Without Lita and Rei to fill the silence – as they were off playing games with Nephrite and Jadeite – the table was completely devoid of conversation. So Darien broke it. "Okay, spill it; what's going on?" No one spoke. He gripped Serena's chin and pulled her face around to meet his determined gaze. "Serena."

"Leave it alone, Darien. This is not the time. Or place." She said. There was no use in lying. Their behaviour gave them away.

"She's right, Darien. It wouldn't be wise to talk about it with so many possible witnesses to your temper." Mina said.

"So it's something I'd get angry about?"

"Mina, shut up." Serena said and Mina chuckled.

"Relax, Sere. He's not gonna guess what it is. And Malachite here wouldn't dare say what it is with an audience." Serena sighed.

"Just when am I gonna be privy to whatever has you all so nervous?"

"Later." Serena said and stuck the straw into her mouth. A shiver went down her back when his finger brushed her neck. She kept her head down. She couldn't look at him. Not that she didn't want to. She desperately wanted to look at him. But it didn't bode well for her libido when her mind's eye locked them in so private a world.

"Mind moving so I can get up?" Mina said to Malachite.

"Yes, I do mind. You'll not speak to that man in my presence." He responded, his voice low and gruff.

"Malachite-" Serena started then shut right up. What exactly was she gonna say to him that wouldn't sound pitiful.

"Yes, Princess?"

"Shhh. Don't call me that. It's Serena. My name's Serena."

"As you wish."

"Let Mina go. I understand your position but you must understand hers. She has lived a life without you. You cannot expect her memories of a former life to dictate her actions in this life. Forcing her to – to stay with you because of an impulsive decision will not help your case." Serena waited then heard as Malachite shifted to allow Mina to get up. Serena didn't miss Mina's anger at her interference. Best friends or not, Mina would resent whatever hold she seemed to have over Malachite.

While Darien and Malachite spoke, Serena tried to be as invisible to them as possible. It didn't help that Darien seemed to find every reason to touch her. And occasion. If she shifted her leg, his followed to close the gap. She shifted away from him and he moved to rectify the space. As it was, she was trapped in the corner of the booth. His hand, that would seem, to many, casually thrown over her seat, was drawing maddening little circles on her neck. She rolled her shoulders and tried to hide the tiny tremors that she couldn't suppress. When he pulled her shake from her hand and took a sip, she found it damn near impossible to drink from it again. But the urge just to see if she could taste him on the straw was frustrating. She frowned at the drink. In the corner of her mind that monitored the conversation, she heard Malachite excuse himself. She turned to ask Darien to move over so she could go to the restroom and found herself free-falling under the effects of his kiss. She forgot the drink. The restroom. Her friends' problems and embraced the sweet bliss of the moment.

"I wish you wouldn't surrender like that, Serena." He said a breath away from her lips. "It doesn't help what little control I have over myself."

"Then don't kiss me like that." She muttered even as she sought out his lips. He complied for a few more seconds with his desires. And hers. He sat up slowly on a deep, shaky breath.

"I don't know why I thought I ever disliked you." He said pressing his thumb to her lips.

"Yeah. Same here."

"So, are you gonna tell me what's going on?" he asked as he toyed with her hair.

"Exercise a little patience. Besides, I'm supposed to be mad at you for locking me in an icicle."

"But you can't stay mad at me." He reasoned.

"Don't be so smug about it." She groused.

"So, what's bothering you, otherwise?" She glared at him and he smiled.

"Are you reading my mind?"

"I wish I was. I wouldn't need to ask what's going on."

She sighed. "I had a weird dream last night. And I can't really remember it but it's been on my mind. I just have a bad feeling that something's wrong."

"With you?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I keep going over what happened with – with Beryl and I can't help but feel that something went wrong. Like we aren't done."

"Serena, Beryl is gone. For good. There is no coming back for her."

"I keep telling myself that but it's as if I can hear her laughing at us. Laughing at me. Now I sound paranoid. And nuts." She muttered and laid her head on her hands.

"It's perfectly fine to worry. You never got a chance to adjust to Beryl's absence. We thought it was kind of surreal when it ended."

"It doesn't feel surreal. It feels unfinished. We all know that the crystal hasn't been activated and without it, I wouldn't be able to defeat Beryl. What if she isn't dead?"

"She's gone. Sailor Pluto would have said otherwise."

"I guess she would have." Serena said. "Okay. She's gone. She's gone."

"Now that we've solved that, what's say we go out on an actual date?" Serena snorted and he frowned at her. "Did I say something funny?"

"Wouldn't all these outings be classified as dates?"

"Technically. But I want to take you out without the others acting as chaperones."

"And I should do this to give you free reign to have your wicked way with me?" she said. He smirked at that and she narrowed her eyes because she could already feel her cheeks flaming.

"I could have my wicked way with you now." He said smugly. He threaded his fingers through hers and squeezed. "More than likely, you'd only put up a token resistance." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the traitorous pulse on her wrist, his eyes never leaving hers.

"You're too cocky for your own good, Prince Darien." The address slipped out before she could stop it and he smiled, using the opportunity to scrape his teeth against her skin.

"Your reactions make it easy to be cocky, Princess Serenity." He said easily. He straightened but kept her hand in his. "So will you? Tonight? My place?"

"Uh-"

"Say yes, Serena. You want to."

"My dad wouldn't allow it." She said grasping at straws. When he only smiled at her she sighed. "Fine. I'll-I'll be there."

"Here's the key. Let yourself in and wait for me." She looked at the object with trepidation but took it anyway.

"I hope I don't regret this." She said and swallowed. She looked at him for a long time before she allowed the screaming thought to manifest in words. "Please promise you won't do-anything." Instead of smirking as he always did, he frowned at her. She saw the anger in his eyes and wondered why he would be angry at her words.

"Serena, I wouldn't take advantage of you."

"I-"

"Is that the kind of person you think I am?"

"Darien-" she said hurrying to stop the fight. "That's not what I meant to say."

"Then what do you mean?"

She swallowed and tried to ignore the furious blush she was sporting. "I am-susceptible to you. As much as you seem to be around me. It wouldn't take much for something small to escalate between us. Just ease off on the charm." She said.

This time he laughed. "What charm? According to you I have as much charm as a snake."

"And my evaluation stands." He laughed again at her words. "The problem is when you forget to irritate me, you suddenly turn into – I don't know – a reasonably sweet guy. If you haven't noticed, normal, healthy, hormonal girls find it hard to resist your face. And damn your eyes." His smile slipped away and he frowned at her. He was about to stop her flow of words when she said the one thing that pushed him over the cliff of embarrassment. "Not many men can be described as beautiful. But you are. You're beautiful."

"You can stop talking now, meatball head." He said.

"No need to get snippy. You asked and I answered." She stared at him. When he didn't speak and his face became carefully blank, her mouth fell open. "Oh my-are you embarrassed. Is that it? You're embarrassed because I called you beautiful?"

"Would you stop saying that?"

She laughed. "Well at least you're not completely conceited. In that I was wrong." She laughed again. Embarrassment mixed with his quick temper hand him shoving his face close to hers. She sat back, her head hitting the wall almost painfully. His eyes glittered at her and she felt trapped. She wasn't a coward under most circumstances. Far from it. But when he looked at her like that, she decided hiding from the intensity was better than trying to tamp down her hellish hormonal reaction. So she closed her eyes and stopped breathing. At least she wasn't blushing.

"Serena."

"Back off Darien." She said through her teeth, sacrificing precious air. "I said what I said and I'm not taking it back." Her breath ran out and she had to inhale. She turned her head away, leaving her neck exposed to him. He nipped her, none too lightly and she squeaked. She snapped her eyes open, ready to fight. "You animal!" she shoved him. "You bit me! I can't believe you bit me!" She didn't care that the entire arcade was privy to their quarrel. It was nothing new.

"Serves you right." Darien said that. Even though he didn't yell, the tenor of his voice carried well across the attentive expanse of the arcade. "You should really pay attention when someone is talking to you."

"I'm sorry, I don't speak animal. Could you translate 'aarf aarf' into human for me?" She said. She shoved him again mostly so she could make her escape. He didn't budge. She was seriously considering an undignified crawl over the table.

"Maybe I should put you over my knee and teach you some manners."

"So you're an animal and a pervert." She said. She grabbed her unfinished shake and threw it in his face. If she had thought the action through, she would have remembered she was trapped between the wall and his angry form. She opened her mouth to apologize. Nothing came out. Suddenly she was being flung over his shoulder, ass in the air. She was too shocked to argue until she was out in the open air. By then, it was too late.

"Should we go after them?" Lita asked Rei.

"What for? So we can get caught in the cross fire? They'll sort it out themselves. If not, we'll play clean up crew for the next few days when the dust settles."

"I guess." Lita said and went back to her game. She currently whipping Nephrites butt.

"I've got it." Zoicite said. "I've got the antidote."

"Are you sure?" Ami asked looking over his shoulder at the results he was currently reviewing.

"Positive. Sample number three thousand and fifty neutralized the poison ninety eight percent of the time."

"May I?" she said politely and he stepped aside as she took a sample of the liquid and dropped it onto the scanner of her mini-comp. She watched as the liquid destabilized the poison and then facilitated the metabolism of the components. "Well, done, General. We need to figure out the correct dosage to give Serena."

"Child's play after all this." He said and smiled. She couldn't help but return the gesture. It was the first easy moment they ever had. Ever. "Serena should be able to see in a few days at the least."

"Let's get to work then."

"We can let it rest for the night. You should call up your friend and have a night out."

"He is no longer in town." She said. She looked at her watch. "I guess I could get in a few hours of studying before I have to turn in." Retrieving her jacket, she slipped it on.

"Allow me to escort you home."

"It's not necessary, General."

"It would be my pleasure, Ami." He said and extended his hand for her. She bit her lip knowing that she couldn't refuse without seeming ungracious.

"Thank you." She took his hand and they both wish she hadn't. She inhaled sharply and he stiffened involuntarily. Instead of letting go, his fingers fisted painfully around hers. She was more concerned about the mental pathway that was being forged than the possible broken bones. "S-stop." She said.

"I-I can't." She watched as he tried to get his fingers to obey his demands and felt as they tightened around her delicate ones. She gasped in pain. She shook her head trying to dislodge the two-way invasion. If they didn't break contact now, they'd be permanently open to each other mentally. No blocking. No hiding. There would be no privacy in her thoughts. Or his. She pulled at her hand desperately. It was a futile attempt. She needed to interrupt the process.

"I'm sorry." She whispered even as her knee came up and nailed him in the crotch. His hand fell away to hold himself where the pain originated. Pain exploded in his head and he saw stars as he fell to his knees. "I'm so sorry. So sorry." She wouldn't touch him. She wouldn't chance it.

"It-It-oh my god." He moaned. Then he laughed. There was pain in the humor. "It hurts like hell." He said and still he laughed. Ami wondered if he'd lost his mind. "It's good to be a man again." He said and wheezed, pitifully. Ami went to the fridge and retrieved an ice-pack. She wrapped it in a damp towel and waited for him to crawl to a chair.

"Here." He took the pack, carefully avoiding contact with her skin.

"Thank you."

"Will you be okay?" she asked softly.

"Hopefully, I won't be impotent or sterile after this." He winced as he laid the ice over his groin and then watched as Ami turned completely red. She shot up realizing her position – kneeling between his open legs. He smiled cheekily and she pouted.

"I'll call someone to assist you." She said in clipped tones.

"Don't bother. I'll be fine soon."

"All the same-"

"I'll be able to walk you home. We'll just have to be more careful about bodily contact from now on."

He was able to walk her home – with great discomfort – twenty minutes later. Ami couldn't help but laugh to herself. It was funny seeing him trying to walk around so noticeable a pain.

"Well, thank you for walking me home." She said at the door. "I'll be back at the lab after school."

"Of course. Good night, Ami."

"Good night." She let herself in and then watched him walk away through the window. _Nice butt_. She thought to herself and smiled.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Serena reflected on the date she had with Darien. It didn't bode well for a couple if they spent most of their time arguing then the rest of that time making out as if there was no tomorrow. Where was the calm, mature and meaningful conversation that she was supposed to have with her – her – her – what the _hell_ was he to her anyway? Boyfriend? Fiancé? Friend with benefits? She threw the pillow over her head and moaned. A girl her age shouldn't be left to contemplate the fate of the known universe. She sat up, the thought clarifying the jumbled mess that was her head. Her relationship with Darien wasn't based on anything personal or current to just them. One, he was the prince and she was the princess. It was supposedly a given they would be together. Two, they technically worked together. There was no time outside of school where she wouldn't be with him. Unless one counted the hours before sleep. Three, he invaded her dreams. That was just annoying. And four, the big one, they were supposed to save the world together.

Where was the time for just them? Did they have anything outside of former lives and sailor scout duties? Were they even really friends? Sure, she admittedly had a huge crush – or strong feelings for him. She sighed. She was completely in love with him. But was he in love with her? Or was he just in love with the whole idea of their destiny. He did have a hero complex. She turned in the bed until she was flat on her stomach.

"Luna? Are you awake?" she whispered.

"As if I could sleep with your moaning and sighing." The cat said.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"What do you think about Darien and I?"

"On the moon, you were very much in love." The cat responded sagely.

"Exactly. On the moon. But what about now? What do you think of us now?"

"Well-" when Luna didn't continue, Serena sighed.

"I knew it. We're a disaster, aren't we?"

"Serena-"

"No. It's true. If you took away all of this - " she said referring to the scouts and her royal position. "What would there be left of us?"

"Your love."

"My love, Luna. My love. I have no idea how Darien feels about me. Just me. Not Sailor Moon. Not Princess Serenity. Just plain old Serena."

"Then ask him."

"But then it'll be as if I forced him into it. I don't want that."

"What if he never says anything?"

"If he can't say it now – after everything we've been through – then when is he going to?" she said more to herself than to Luna. "He never really wanted to find the princess in the first place. What if the fact that I am the princess repulses him?"

"He doesn't seem repulsed." Luna said picturing the many opportunities the prince took to engage the princess physically. But she understood the girl's feelings. "Perhaps you should try meeting other people. See how you both feel about that."

"I guess."

"Get some rest, Serena."

"Okay."

Darien's eyes opened and he looked at the time. Two in the morning. Who the hell was knocking on his door at this hour? Why did the doorman let them up? Unless it was Serena. He slipped into his pants and threw on a shirt. No need to tempt them both. It would be all too easy to get rid of her clothes.

"Serena what are you-Yumi?" he said confused. "What are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?"

"Can I crash here?" she said and he could tell she was drunk. "My date ditched me." She smiled. "Please?"

"Uh-sure. I'll make up the guestroom." He went to the linen closet and when he got back, he heard water running. He figured she was in the bathroom. That was until he finally made it back to his bed and found her sprawled across it. "Well, damn." Not wanting to use the guestroom, he went to the sofa. He could watch some TV until he went back to sleep. As he settled in, he realized Serena's scent was all over it. He smiled. It would be. He'd kept her there for most of their date. His eyes drooped and then he was out.

Serena used the excuse of returning Darien's shirt to get out of the house earlier than usual. Her intention really was to set some rules between them then hightail it out of the building before he could recover and convince her to do otherwise. Which he most certainly could. Were you supposed to be so vulnerable to your partner? She wondered. The early morning air was chilly but it kept her mind sharp. She realized how early things really started in Juuban. It was only five in the morning and she had been up for hours, managing to get only two hours of sleep. She didn't know how long it took her to get to Maison Apartments. It was only by memory that she managed the slow walk to Darien's apartment building. The thought of getting a dog to lead her around crossed her mind. Then the comical look that Luna would get made her giggle. No. Luna wouldn't take too kindly to that at all. She smiled at the doorman and he let her in.

"Morning, Serena." He said.

"Morning, John. Is Darien in?" she listened to his soft voice in the increasingly frustrating darkness of her mind.

"Last I checked." She heard a slight hesitation but she pushed it aside. She had more important things to deal with.

"Thanks. I'll see you."

"You too."

The elevator music was annoying but it was mundane enough to calm her. She fished the key out of her pocket and let herself in. She deactivated the alarm then listened. The only sound was the running water from the rainforest shower head in his bathroom. She wondered what he'd do if she walked into the bathroom now? She smiled, warming to the idea. She tiptoed to the door then froze when she smelled the perfume. She knew it wasn't hers and none of the other girls spent enough time in his apartment to leave such a strong smell. She released the bathroom door and walked into his bedroom. She could hear the light snoring of whomever was stretched out on his bed. The irony of the situation was not lost on her. She'd come here to talk about seeing other people. The fact that he already was – and doing much more than dating – had a numbing effect on her. The figure moved on the bed and Serena hurried out of the room. She bit her lip as she rested the set of keys on the kitchen counter. She didn't care that her house and room key were on the same ring. Then she walked out.

Darien stared at the keys for a long time. He knew they belonged to Serena. Her Tuxedo Mask key ring was there. And he also knew she had them with her when he dropped her off last night. He'd taken them and opened the door then dropped them in her hand. Just before he kissed her. So how did they get here?

"Morning." He turned to look at Yumi. She was wearing one of his T-shirts.

"Yeah."

"I put my stuff in the wash. Smells like smoke and vodka. Can't walk around like that."

"Hmmm." He turned back to the keys and took them up. He turned them over in his hand as if by that simple action, his mind could wrap around their mysterious appearance.

"You okay, stud?" Yumi wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled his back. He felt her turn her head and bite playfully at him. He didn't freeze like many would under similar circumstances. He stood up and pushed her away.

"What are you doing?" he frowned at her.

"Don't act coy, Darien. I woke up in your bed. I think I have a pretty good idea of what happened."

"You need to lay of the vodka, Yumi. You passed out on my bed after I let you in last night." He used the counter to put some distance between them. He wasn't scared of her but he knew she would cling to him if she got the chance. A determined woman could be surprisingly strong. "Nothing happened in that room between us." She smiled at him and walked to him.

"Well, why don't we just change that?" She walked around the island then she ran her hand up his chest and he stepped back.

"Forget it, Yumi. There's nothing between us. Never will be. I already have a girlfriend."

"You mean that waif you've had trailing after you? She's a child." She said it carelessly and without malice. Her tone told him she didn't see Serena as a threat. But Serena would see her as one. Yumi was a beautiful girl. He'd be lying if he hadn't been attracted to her when they just met. She had been charming. All smiles. But her crush on Andrew had given him enough time to forget the brief physical attraction. When she'd turned her attentions to him, he'd been annoyed because he knew her games now. She wasn't a girl that sat around. She got around. She was well known around campus. She wasn't the type he was interested in. Even if she had been, he was already deeply in love with Serena.

He sighed and shook his head. He opened the refrigerator and took out an orange juice and drank from it before answering. "She's four years younger than us – legally an adult. But that's irrelevant. She's my girlfriend. Bottom line. You need to get dressed and head home. We have class in two hours."

"Darien, be serious. What can she offer you that I can't?" her voice was amused. As if she was indulging him. Biding her time.

"Everything." He said simply. "You and I are friends, Yumi. Classmates. There will never be anything between us. This will be your last night staying here." He said and returned to his room. The keys were clenched in his hands. He'd ditch class today because he had a sinking feeling as to how the keys ended up where they did.

Anger was a mild word for what he felt when he found Serena. She wasn't really doing anything. It was just his normal course of action when he saw her with any guy. Intense, inexplicable anger and an unhealthy dose of jealousy. Instead of heading towards her and wringing the neck of the unsuspecting piece of dirt beside her – touching her, holding her- he shook his head and took a seat at the counter of the arcade.

"You okay there, D?" Andrew asked.

"Just peachy."

"You weren't at class today."

"I had some stuff to think about." Was his only reply as the accepted the unrequested cup of coffee.

"Where's Serena?" the cup shattered under his clenched fist before he could even stop to think about the action. "Okay then. So this is about her. What happened?"

Darien sighed as he allowed Andrew to lead him to the back room where he tended his hand. "I don't know. I woke up and saw her key on my kitchen counter this morning. She's not taking my calls. And I just saw her with some guy."

"So you two didn't have a fight."

"No. But you know her. She jumps to conclusions a lot."

"What conclusion could she have come to this morning?"

"That I'm sleeping with Yumi." He winced when Andrew squeezed his injured hand. "I didn't! Jeez, you're as bad as she is. Yumi showed up at my apartment drunk out her mind last night and passed out on my bed. I'm guessing Serena came by while I was in the shower. I don't know if they spoke or what. But something happened to make her ignore me like this."

"And knowing her she'll avoid you as if her life depends on it."

"She shouldn't worry overmuch about her life. She would worry about those scrawny idiots she's sporting around. I can't hurt her but I have no qualms about-"

"Darien." Darien turned to face Rei. "We have a problem."

"Don't we always?" he murmured.

"Luna thinks Serena has lost her powers for good."

"But that would mean-"

"We think Serena really wasn't the princess which is why the Silver Crystal reacted like that."

"But-"

"What are you guys talking about? Princess? Silver Crystal?" Andrew put in. The two froze. "Darien."

"I-"

"He should know." Rei said. She set about explaining in the barest of terms what was going on. Andrew didn't comment just nodded. "We need to call a meeting. Without Serena. The last time we talked about something like this, she disappeared. We don't want that happening again."

"We'll meet at my apartment. She won't think to look for us there."

"So?" Mina said. "We're thinking she's no longer the princess? The three outer senshi confirmed that she is. And the Crystal can't work without someone from her bloodline."

"We've considered this and-we think she may be related to the princess and so the Crystal used the blood trace to help get rid of Beryl."

"So we have to look for the princess again?" Lita asked.

"You're wrong." Darien said. "Serena's the princess."

"The evidence-"

"Is crap. It means nothing. If you all feel like looking for some non-existent princess, do it. But leave me and my generals out of it. You should all have more faith in her."

"Darien-" Ami tried.

"Save it, Ami." He said then got up and closed himself off in his room.

"I was just going to say that I agree with him." She said shrugged. "I think Serena is the princess. And we should concentrate on curing her blindness. Zoicite and I have the first application. The treatment should last a month at least. Two maximum. It all depends on her reaction to the medicine."

"Is it dangerous?"

"Yes. But so is the poison. If she stays this way much longer, the poison could be integrated into her system and slowly kill her. She should be able see in a few days but it will take at least a month to fully metabolise the poison."

"Princess or not," Rei said. "Serena is our friend and we put her before anybody. Or anything."

"Do any of you know what's going on with Darien and Serena?" Malachite asked and earned a glare from Mina.

"Couples fight." Nephrite said. "Leave it alone." He said wisely. They all went their separate ways after that.

Serena was pretty upset to find Darien at her house that night. She barely tasted her food and hardly said a word – to anybody – for the entire evening. He was as smooth as silk. No one suspected anything was wrong. She sighed in relief when she was walking him to the door.

"Maybe I should have explained what I meant when I left my key earlier-" he touched a finger to her lips. She frowned and stepped back.

"I know what it meant and I don't accept it. You need to give me a chance to explain what happened." Serena sighed. She knew what happened. He didn't need to explain. "Nothing happened." Okay, maybe she didn't know what happened. He wasn't one to lie so she took his word for it.

"Knowing Yumi was there made me realize that we really do need to take a step back from this-this thing between us. I can't deal with you. You're too-intense. And as things stand, I need a break from you until I can see again and have my powers back. Or access to them."

"You're breaking up with me." He smiled and invaded her space. "Just try it, Serena. Try walking away from me." She swallowed.

"I never claimed it would be easy. But I will have to-" she cleared her throat. He was looking directly at her and she wasn't oblivious to the effect his eyes had on her. Especially in her current condition. She tried to step back but he grabbed her upper arms. "Darien, please." She said softly.

"Do you even know what you're asking me to do?" he whispered against her ear.

"Yes." She said and he growled in that delicious way that had her rubbing her cheek against his. She could feel his anger. His struggle. Then suddenly, her world was empty. "What-"

"You got your wish, Princess. You won't have to suffer my presence."

Just like that, her world was dark. Darien was still holding her but she couldn't see him. Her stomach felt like she had swallowed a rock. Her throat constricted painfully and she felt the first pangs of panic.

"Darien-" no other words were possible. What would she say exactly? Wasn't this her wish? She knew he must see the terror in her eyes. He wouldn't miss it.

"I'll be out of town for a while, then. It wouldn't be safe for whoever you find to replace me if I was around."

"I'm not replacing you." In fact, she didn't think she could go out with anybody. She just wanted him to be sure that he wanted her. "I couldn't." She said under her breath. To him, she continued. "I want you to be sure you want to be with me. I want you to see other people, to – to-"

"Absolutely not." He said and stepped away from her. She fact that he was no longer physically touching her anymore increased her panicked state of mind. "I don't know what's going on with you but when you have it all figured out, let me know." The door closed with a resounding finality and Serena found it near impossible to stop the tears that burned her throat and eyes. She felt the hysterical scream bubbling in her and fought it. It was a exhausting experience. _There is no need to panic. He isn't going anywhere. This is necessary. You need to figure out how some things for yourself._ The words were logical but she couldn't ignore the panicked screaming in her mind. She was just greatful nobody could hear it.


End file.
